Buta Biberaj

Buta has seen firsthand how the criminal justice system creates and reinforces economic and racial inequalities – from how charges are selected, to how bond is determined, pleas are offered, and sentencing is argued.

Buta has worked diligently to end the school to prison pipeline by embracing the relationship between the schools, the community, and the court system to create diversion opportunities. She believes that we must keep school disciplinary issues within the school system, not funnel them into the court system. She has worked diligently to reduce the number of days a student is out of school, including expulsions, detentions, and out-of-home commitments.

Buta has also focused her efforts on mass incarceration. Mass incarceration is not the way to solve society’s problems. Justice means appropriate charges for crimes, and prevention and meaningful investment in our communities. When prosecutors don’t charge the right person, overcharge someone in order to force a plea, or threaten to stack charges to force a plea, our community is not safe. Buta has changed the culture of the Commonwealth Attorney’s office so that justice is always paramount and that integrity is always preserved so that we all feel safe.