Issue Position: Criminal Justice Reform and Public Safety

Issue Position

As a prosecutor, Jimmy has been making communities safer and pursuing justice for victims and families since 1996. For the past five years, Jimmy was assigned to the Monterey County District Attorney's office Gang Team and was responsible for prosecuting violent criminal street gang members. Based on his experience in the criminal justice system, he was appointed to the California Councils on Criminal and Juvenile Justice, which provided guidance to the Governor's Office on federal funding for state criminal justice programs. Jimmy understands the importance of police to the safety of our communities. However, he believes that we can't just be reactive, but that we also have to be proactive to prevent crime. Jimmy's goal starts with focusing on our families, communities, and efforts to build trust between law enforcement and the people they serve. This includes the ban on racial profiling by federal, state, and local law enforcement and a commitment to supporting programs that keep our teens in school, off the streets, and out of gangs. Through his work on the board of Rancho Cielo Youth Campus, he has seen what job training and placement can do for at-risk youth in our community. Additionally, we must and ensure that individuals with mental health issues who wind up incarcerated are recognized and treated appropriately as a health issue, not solely as a criminal justice issue.

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