(This story aired on KPCC, Southern California Public Radio, on March 28, 2016)

L-A County District Attorney Jackie Lacey announced nine months ago the start of a new unit to look into wrongful conviction claims. KPCC's Ashley Bailey reports the new division's been bombarded with people who say they're innocent.

BAILEY: 730 -- that's how many people have stepped forward in LA county saying they were wrongfully convicted of a crime. The DA's office is sorting out which of those have new evidence, like DNA, to back them up. 

So far, just over a third have been reviewed. Loyola Law Innocent Project Director Laurie Levinson, say the process seems slow. 
.
LEVENSON:  "On our end that's a bit frustrating because we have cases that we want resolved today." 

But District Attorney Jackie Lacey says the office has made progress on a number of cases, with about a dozen assigned to staff for a closer look.

She says the case files are huge.
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LACEY: "it's almost like doing the entire trial again, it's a lot more time than people realize." 

The county has allocated nearly a million dollars to staff the unit.

I'm Ashley Bailey

LA County's new wrongful conviction unit flooded with hundreds of innocence claims

Muslim-American clinicians are encouraging fellow Muslims to ask for help when addressing their mental health. WGBH Radio’s Ashley Bailey reports The Islamic Society of Boston in Roxbury hosted an event Sunday to offer resources and break through the stigma surrounding mental health issues.

Muslim Mental Health Matters

Friends and colleagues in Boston’s biotech industry are remembering Henri Termeer following news of his passing over the weekend. As WGBH Radio's Ashley Bailey reports, the longtime head of Genzyme was known as one of the fathers of biotech in Boston.

Remembering A Boston Biotech Pioneer

State lawmakers plan to try again to re-reform Massachusetts alimony laws. WGBH Radio’s Ashley Bailey reports currently all divorced spouses are not treated equally.

New Bill Seeks To Update Mass. Alimony Laws

Voters are pressing Congressman Seth Moulton on foreign policy with North Korea and Russia. WBUR’s Ashley Bailey reports.

Rep. Moulton Addresses North Korea and Russia

Congressman Seth Moulton of Massachusetts wants to help reform the Democratic party -- including its leadership.
 
WBUR’s Ashley Bailey says the issue is top of mind for voters after a series of losses to Republicans.

Rep. Moulton Addresses Need For New Leadership

The nurses lockout at Tufts Medical Center ended Monday. It's unclear when both sides will restart contract  negotiations.  
But WBUR's Ashley Bailey reports one of the sticking points is salary.

Congressman Lynch Weighs In On Tufts Nurses Stalled Contract

Mayor Marty Walsh joined two Congressmen Saturday to show his support at a rally for nurses locked out of Tufts Medical Center. 
WBUR's Ashley Bailey reports.

Boston Mayor Marty Walsh Addresses Tufts Nurses During Lockout

(Aired during NPR newscasts on Saturday, August 5, 2017)
In Massachusetts, thousands of cyclists from around the country are riding this weekend to fundraise money for cancer research. 
Organizers say the Pan-Mass Challenge raises more money for charity than any other single athletic fundraising event in the country. The goal this year is to raise 48 million dollars for the Dana Farber Cancer Institute in Boston. Ashley Bailey met up with riders in the town of Franklin, about 40 miles away from the start line.

Cyclists Hope To Raise $48 Million For Cancer Research

Tourists and locals are still enjoying Boston Common despite the brutal cold. 
WBUR's Ashley Bailey reports. 
Kalli Catcott of Beacon Hill, her wife Samantha, and their two-year-old son, Graham, walked through the Common on their way home after swim practice, just as the wind whipped up. 
"We're going to take down some Christmas decorations and have some hot cocoa because (wind whips up) WOO! We can only really stand to be outside for 20 minutes at a time," Catcott said. 
Another couple stopped on a snowy path to snap a photo.
Clutching her fur-lined hood to her face, Carla Colfer looks uncomfortable.
She and her husband Bary Boeshaar are visiting from Florida. 
"I promised to take her to snow (laughs) we decided Boston and it's really beautiful just..." Bary said.
Carla jumped in. "Just so cold, even though we have a lot of clothes and stuff." 
Carla is originally from Peru, this is her first time seeing the snow. 
She says they're going to see as much as they can. 
For 90.9, WBUR,I'm Ashley Bailey.

9 Degrees In Boston

Workers on Nantucket hope to make progress on repairing a massive sewer main break. Since Thursday, its caused two-million gallons of untreated sewage to flow into Nantucket Harbor. 
WBUR’s Ashley Bailey says there’s no estimate yet on damage - or how long repairs will take. 
Roberto Santamaria with the island’s public health department says this weekend’s brutal cold is difficult for crews to work in, but in at least one way - it’s a help.
“The bacteria from the sewage that’s coming out can’t survive in this cold so we’re not too worried about any sort of health contamination," he said.
The town decided to keep the pipe open to prevent sewage backups into homes. 
The health department won’t know what caused the break until they can get a better look at it. 
For 90.9, WBUR, I’m Ashley Bailey

AshleyBBailey

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