Sheriff Donna Buckley

Well, thank you for having me. Important conversations.

Well, thank you for having me. Important conversations.

Well, thank you for having me. Important conversations.

It's sort of a nontraditional path to being sheriff. I've spent my entire career as an attorney. And in 2018, I accepted a job as general counsel for the Barnstable County Sheriff's Office. In that position, I had an opportunity to see both what was happening inside the sheriff's office, as well as be part of one of the major criminal justice reform legislations that was passed in Massachusetts.

It's sort of a nontraditional path to being sheriff. I've spent my entire career as an attorney. And in 2018, I accepted a job as general counsel for the Barnstable County Sheriff's Office. In that position, I had an opportunity to see both what was happening inside the sheriff's office, as well as be part of one of the major criminal justice reform legislations that was passed in Massachusetts.

It's sort of a nontraditional path to being sheriff. I've spent my entire career as an attorney. And in 2018, I accepted a job as general counsel for the Barnstable County Sheriff's Office. In that position, I had an opportunity to see both what was happening inside the sheriff's office, as well as be part of one of the major criminal justice reform legislations that was passed in Massachusetts.

in 2018 and think about, you know, sort of how that was going to be implemented, what other sheriff's offices were doing and what we were doing. And so through that work, lots of discussion about recidivism, lots of discussion about mental health and addiction being the primary reason that people are in jail. And when the current sheriff indicated that he was going to retire,

in 2018 and think about, you know, sort of how that was going to be implemented, what other sheriff's offices were doing and what we were doing. And so through that work, lots of discussion about recidivism, lots of discussion about mental health and addiction being the primary reason that people are in jail. And when the current sheriff indicated that he was going to retire,

in 2018 and think about, you know, sort of how that was going to be implemented, what other sheriff's offices were doing and what we were doing. And so through that work, lots of discussion about recidivism, lots of discussion about mental health and addiction being the primary reason that people are in jail. And when the current sheriff indicated that he was going to retire,

there was only one candidate who stepped forward.

there was only one candidate who stepped forward.

there was only one candidate who stepped forward.

And that candidate didn't, in my view, seem to share the priorities that were necessary to address what was happening in the criminal justice system, which was the prevalence of addiction and mental health in people who are incarcerated and a lack of recognition for the fact that a lack of services, pre-incarceration, pre-criminal behavior is what led a lot of people to spiral into the criminal justice system.

And that candidate didn't, in my view, seem to share the priorities that were necessary to address what was happening in the criminal justice system, which was the prevalence of addiction and mental health in people who are incarcerated and a lack of recognition for the fact that a lack of services, pre-incarceration, pre-criminal behavior is what led a lot of people to spiral into the criminal justice system.

And that candidate didn't, in my view, seem to share the priorities that were necessary to address what was happening in the criminal justice system, which was the prevalence of addiction and mental health in people who are incarcerated and a lack of recognition for the fact that a lack of services, pre-incarceration, pre-criminal behavior is what led a lot of people to spiral into the criminal justice system.

So it was one of those put up or shut up moments where, you know, you can't complain about the way things are going if you're not willing to do something. And I was at a point in my life where it's like, you know what? I have a responsibility to have a conversation with the community about what we could be doing at the sheriff's office, especially in relation to incarceration.

So it was one of those put up or shut up moments where, you know, you can't complain about the way things are going if you're not willing to do something. And I was at a point in my life where it's like, you know what? I have a responsibility to have a conversation with the community about what we could be doing at the sheriff's office, especially in relation to incarceration.

So it was one of those put up or shut up moments where, you know, you can't complain about the way things are going if you're not willing to do something. And I was at a point in my life where it's like, you know what? I have a responsibility to have a conversation with the community about what we could be doing at the sheriff's office, especially in relation to incarceration.

So I ran with the purpose of having that conversation and giving people an option. Other sheriff's offices in Massachusetts and throughout the state were realizing that we needed to not just lock people up and then let them out when their time's up. So we had the conversation and upset of upsets, I won.

So I ran with the purpose of having that conversation and giving people an option. Other sheriff's offices in Massachusetts and throughout the state were realizing that we needed to not just lock people up and then let them out when their time's up. So we had the conversation and upset of upsets, I won.