Senator Patricia Jehlen was elected to the Massachusetts Senate in 2005. She represents Medford, Somerville, and parts of Winchester and Cambridge.Senator Jehlen serves as Senate Chair of the Joint Committee on Labor and Workforce Development, Senate Chair of the Joint Committee on Elder Affairs, and as Vice Chair of the Joint Committee on Marijuana Policy. Senator Jehlen also serves on the Committees on Ways and Means, Revenue, and Community Development and Small Businesses.
Senator Jehlen has been a long-time supporter of compensation for those who have been wrongfully convicted. This bill adds upon the policy passed in the 2018 Criminal Justice Reform to make it easier for exonorees to access compensation as they rebuild their lives after sometimes decades in prison for crime they did not commit.