rich 1.0 Action Network https://actionnetwork.org <link href='https://actionnetwork.org/css/style-embed-v3.css' rel='stylesheet' type='text/css' /><script src='https://actionnetwork.org/widgets/v6/letter/raise-the-larceny-threshold?format=js&source=widget'></script><div id='can-letter-area-raise-the-larceny-threshold' style='width: 100%'><!-- this div is the target for our HTML insertion --></div> Jobs Not Jails https://actionnetwork.org/groups/jobs-not-jails https://actionnetwork.org//images/generic_facebook.jpg The Massachusetts legislative session ends July 31, 2016. There's still time to enact criminal justice reform this session. If you are convicted of larceny of items over $250, it is a felony here in Massachusetts. The present $250 threshold is unjust because it captures many low level offenses and makes felons of countless people. Any felony carries a heavy stigma, creates barriers to jobs, and contributes to reliance on public assistance. There also is a 10 year waiting period to seal criminal records for low level offenses because they are classified as felonies. Increasing the threshold to $1500 would help many young people and numerous others who are trapped in poverty and unemployment for what were actually low level offenses. Massachusetts is an outlier with an outdated $250 threshold enacted in 1987. Every state in the U.S. has a higher amount except New Jersey ($200) and Virginia ($200). It's time to raise the felony threshold. https://actionnetwork.org/letters/raise-the-larceny-threshold