Drugs, Data, and District Attorneys

Carl Williams and Nasser Eledroos

Staff Attorney; Technology Fellow

ACLU of Massachusetts

April 24, 2018 12:00PM E51-095, 70 Memorial Drive, Cambridge, MA

Carl Williams, Staff Attorney, ACLU of Massachusetts

Nasser Eledroos, Technology Fellow, ACLU of Massachusetts

Lunch provided.

For over 4 years, the American Civil Liberties Union of Massachusetts has instigated a legal battle to clear the names of tens of thousands of wrongfully convicted people. These people have one thing in common: their drug cases were mishandled by the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. Data science played a crucial role in clearing their names and gave advocates the opportunity to shed light on the system that has been rife with mismanagement, misconduct, and misinformation.

Carl Williams is a Staff Attorney with the ACLU of Massachusetts, and a long-time activist and organizer on issues of war, immigrants’ rights, LGBTQ rights, racial justice and Palestinian self-determination. He’s a member National Lawyers Guild and has served on its Massachusetts board of directors. During the Occupy Boston movement, he was part of its legal defense and support team, which provided nearly 24-hour support to the participants. Carl tweets at @carltonwilliams.
 
Nasser Eledroos is a Computer Scientist and Technology Fellow for the Technology for Liberty Program at the ACLU of Massachusetts, where he works to find ways data science and civic tech can further criminal justice reform, immigrants rights advocacy and privacy/surveillance reform. He’s a member of the Free Software Foundation and a former Software Engineer. Nasser tweets at @nassereledroos.

ACLUM: The mission of the ACLU of Massachusetts is to fight for and protect civil liberties and civil rights, especially as they pertain to criminal justice, equal opportunity, free speech & assembly, immigrant rights, LGBT rights, privacy rights, racial justice, student's rights, voting rights, women's rights and civil liberties post 9/11.