There's a new sheriff in town... or ought to be
Those of you I have worked with in various organizations know that criminal justice reform holds a special place in my heart. Whether the issue is civil rights, immigrant rights, or simply the humane treatment of people ensnared in the "criminal justice" system, this has been a common thread.
And those of you I have worked with over the years also know that one man in particular, our local sheriff, has managed to embody everything that is wrong with this failed system. The current Bristol County Sheriff, Thomas M. Hodgson, has overextended his taxpayer-funded lobbying for far right and white supremacist causes. I could go on and on about all the man's sins and crimes -- and I did in "New England's Joe Arpaio," which appeared a year and a half ago.
https://politicalresearch.org/2020/10/13/new-englands-joe-arpaio
But now Mr. Hodgson is being challenged by someone -- who, as long as we really must preserve the medieval English post of "shire reef" -- someone who is actually prepared for the position. Not a patronage hack like Hodgson but someone who has promised reforms to a cruel, ineffective system that is supposed to help people turn around their lives but never does. A job that Hodgson has neglected and abused.
Unlike the incumbent, Paul Heroux was born in Bristol County, studied psychology and neuroscience, has a master's degree in criminology, another in International Relations, and a third in Public Administration. All of these are ultimately just pieces of paper but they signal that Heroux is always looking for real science-based ways of serving the public. Heroux is presently the mayor of Attleboro and has managed to keep the city solvent while dealing with the pandemic. But most of all, Heroux is prepared to dig in and actually work the job -- unlike the incumbent.
Heroux's campaign is just getting up and running. Please be generous.