Participate in Youth Justice Lobby Day Close to Home

JUNE 7th Action:

Want to participate in Lobby Day, but unable to attend in-person? It’s okay - you can be an effective advocate at home!

  1. Find your legislators and their emails or phone numbers. Call both your Representative and Senator and ask to speak to a legislative aide. You can also email your legislators with your request for their support.

  2. Use the sample script below for your call or email.

  3. Email a follow up thank you note with fact sheets. Email the aide a note thanking them for taking the time to talk with you on the phone and email them fact sheets on the bills.

Sample Phone or Email Script

To:  firstname.lastname@mahouse.gov (for representatives)

       firstname.lastname@masenate.gov (for senators)

Subject: Please co-sponsor these Youth Justice bills

Dear Representative (or Senator) _____________,

Hello my name is _________ and I am a _______________ living in your district. I am reaching out to ask for you to co-sponsor the below bills. As your constituent, I believe that our Commonwealth must ensure that young people are on the right path to grow into healthy adults. I am reaching out with a request to the Representative (or Senator) to co-sponsor these bills that will improve public safety and hold young people accountable in ways that would improve their outcomes:

  • Raise the age at which older youth -- 18- to 20-year-olds -- are automatically prosecuted as adults. (H.1710/S.920) – FACT SHEET

  • Expand judicial diversion to allow judges (a neutral party) to decide if a youth and public safety are better served through community-based alternatives to the juvenile justice system. Diversion has been found to Through diversion, courts can still hold young people accountable without the risk of detention or adjudication (H.1495/S.940) – FACT SHEET

  • End the imposition of mandatory minimum long sentences because the defendant was adjudicated a delinquent in their youth. (H.1688/S.959) – FACT SHEET

  • Expand eligibility for expungement to ensure young people who are on the right track can have better access to education and employment opportunities.. (H.1451/S.936) – FACT SHEET

These bill are important to me because _______________. Thank you for considering these bills and please let me know if i can discuss why I support these bills with you or your staff. I am happy to meet virtually or in-person/in-district to further discuss these bills and why they are important to me.

Sincerely,

Your full name
Home Address
City, State Zip (to verify you are a constituent)