TJ, in his first term as Attorney General championed a bail reform bill that is now law and successfully pushed to expand access to expungements. Also, he committed to advance innovative approaches to solve difficult Criminal Justice issues, acutely aware of the power of the criminal justice system to marginalize people who have made a serious mistake but should not be subject to a life sentence outside society.
He seeks to make the system work for both victims (security) and offenders (fairness).
Other issues he touched upon:
TJ has successfully advocated for a variety of innovative criminal justice policies including universal access to naloxone treatment;
decriminalization of marijuana;
the broadest Good Samaritan law in the country for people involved in overdose cases that call 911;
increased access to medication assisted treatment;
“ban the box” legislation; (persuading employers to remove from their hiring applications the check box that asks if applicants have a criminal record), and
greater access to needle exchanges.
These programs have helped reduce the harm caused by criminal activity. TJ Donovan was among the first public officials in Vermont to focus his public advocacy on the scourge of opiates like heroin and its addiction in Vermont, dedicating resources to address this issue.
In this vein, he will continue to speak out against the building of new prisons and the contracting with private prison companies. Thanks TJ, a "freind of the Club" who has