Rally raises awareness for people wrongly convicted of crimes in Suffolk County
BOSTON -- A rally was held Sunday to support the men and women who have been wrongly convicted of crimes in Suffolk County. The rally was sponsored by the New England Innocence Project.
The group said the number of wrongfully convicted people in Suffolk County is alarming and many are the result of police misconduct and racism.
According to the New England Innocence Project, nearly half of all wrongful convictions in Massachusetts occur in Suffolk County.
"Most people when they see someone go to jail, they automatically think they've done something wrong, but that may not be the case. We have to actually look at every case, every person one-by-one to realize if they really belong in the incarceration system in the first place," said Rep. Liz Miranda. "People that are incarnated are not throw away people."
Miranda said Black people are eight times more likely to go to jail in Massachusetts while making up less than 20% of the entire population.