David’s Priorities

Priority 01

A Just Balance

Prosecution must balance accountability and empathy for offenders.

David Jenkins supports all evidence-based options to protect victims, protect our communities, reduce the occurrence of repeat offenders, and wisely use taxpayer dollars.

David’s experience in the criminal justice system in three states and five prosecutorial offices has shown him the miserable failures of “tough on crime” policies that serve only to turn non-violent offenders into violent offenders and to make violent offenders even more violent upon their release. David has also seen the miserable failures of “soft on crime” policies where offenders are never held accountable, only show up to court if they feel like it, and are quickly back in the courtroom for new crimes. There is a middle ground that we must find to balance accountability for offenders with empathy for the circumstances that led offenders, our neighbors and fellow human beings, to make the decisions that led to criminal charges.

David will direct all Assistant County Attorneys to screen every case and make referrals where appropriate for alternative sentencing programs like Behavioral Health Court, Treatment (Drug) Court, and, especially, the Restorative Justice Program. These programs are evidence-based ways of reducing repeat offenders, are much cheaper than jail or prison, and are simply the right thing to do when appropriate. Although these are great programs, there is still much more that we can do by implementing programs like Veterans’ Court and Young Adult Court.

As great as alternative sentencing programs are, our community needs to be kept safe from violent offenders, especially convicted felons who are found with firearms. Gun violence has become so prevalent in our society that mass shootings are not always breaking headlines now. Convicted felons who are caught with firearms should go to prison. David will issue clear guidance to prosecutors about the types of cases where jail or prison time should be part of a case’s resolution, in addition to rehabilitative programs.

Priority 02

Victim-Centered Prosecution

Victims of crime deserve to be heard, supported, and believed.

David Jenkins will ensure that victims are central to each case that the County Attorney’s Office prosecutes. Too often, victims feel overlooked by the very system meant to protect them. David will change that by ensuring that victims have access to support services, receive timely updates on their case, and are treated with compassion and dignity by every participant in the criminal justice system.

David will strengthen the office’s collaboration with victim advocacy organizations and social service agencies across Cheshire County. David will also require the Assistant County Attorneys to meet in person with every victim in every case covered by the Victims’ Bill of Rights. Victims deserve the chance to speak directly to the prosecutor assigned to their case.

Crimes involving domestic violence, sexual assault, stalking, child abuse, and crimes against the elderly will be pursued with particular care and expertise. David will ensure that prosecutors handling these sensitive cases have the training and resources they need.

Priority 03

Accountability & Transparency

The public has a right to know how the County Attorney’s Office operates.

David Jenkins is committed to running an open and accountable County Attorney’s Office. That office belongs to no one person, it belongs to every person in Cheshire County. David will provide regular public updates on the office’s work, priorities, and outcomes because transparency is the foundation of public trust.

David will institute clear ethical guidelines for the officer, ensure proper oversight of prosecutorial discretion, and create mechanisms for feedback from local victim advocacy groups, treatment providers, law enforcement, and the entire community. After being elected, David will remain active and present in our community to ensure that information about the County Attorney’s Office continues to flow outwards so that the people of Cheshire County know what is happening in their County Attorney’s Office. The era of a black-box County Attorney’s Office ends with David Jenkins. Taxpayers deserve to know that their County Attorney’s Office is well-run and working for them.

Priority 04

Community Partnerships

Justice is a community project – not just a courthouse one.

David Jenkins knows that the County Attorney’s Office does not operate in a vacuum. He will actively engage with municipalities, schools, nonprofits, and residents across Cheshire County to understand the justice-related changes unique to each community in Cheshire County.

David is committed to building trust between the County Attorney’s Office and all communities – including those who have historically felt marginalized by the justice system. That means listening, being present in those communities, and being accountable.

Priority 05

Fiscal Responsibility

Government should be both effective and efficient.

David Jenkins has a plan that can be implemented on day one to reduce the daily operations cost of the County Attorney’s Office by using tools that the County Attorney’s Office already possesses and implementing simple procedural changes that will eliminate unnecessary expenses.

David will not cut a budget solely for the sake of cutting a budget. That type of destructive thinking hinders the effective prosecution of cases. Prosecuting cases requires spending for things like hiring excellent personnel, consulting with experts, and maintaining computer hardware and software. Although some spending is necessary, David will not allow unnecessary, wasteful spending to continue. As people in Cheshire County have faced soaring property taxes, every one of our elected officials should ensure that their office runs both as effectively and as efficiently as possible.