Not all crimes deserve jail time. In fact, the justice system has a powerful opportunity to intervene and prevent future offenses if it acts with caring and compassion and provides a path to success for first-time, non-violent offenders. I will implement effective criminal justice reform. Unlike Gascon, I won’t pretend that these criminals have not committed the crimes they have. In seeking to hold them accountable, I will offer them the opportunity to pay their debt to society through community service or a diversion program, rather than necessarily sending them to jail. If they meet the court’s requirements, cases can be dismissed in the future so that criminal records do not prevent them from pursuing employment or education. Having worked not only as a prosecutor but as a defense attorney for decades, I believe that first-time, non-violent offenders are often at a crossroads in their life. If they are given an opportunity to choose the right path and then successfully complete it, these offenders may stay out of the criminal justice system for the rest of their lives.