To the editor:
Unlike previous district attorneys, Andrea Harrington has brought an unwavering sense of kindness and compassion to her office, which has enhanced the way the Berkshire County court system operates.
Hopefully, when someone actually pays attention to her office’s accomplishments, they will want to help her build upon the momentum of change she has created.
Andrea was elected four years ago because we wanted change. Let’s keep that momentum going.
Change is not an overnight process, but much progress has been made in the past four years.
For example, she is working to end unfair racial disparities in the courts, and to build a culture of inclusion in our county. She is achieving that in a variety of ways.
Andrea Harrington has:
● Been appointed to the Massachusetts U.S. Attorney’s Civil Rights Task Force to strengthen the prevention, investigation, and prosecution of civil rights violations statewide.
● Created the first-ever Hate Crime Section in the Berkshire District Attorney’s Office to ensure that hateful incidents are met with the full force of the law.
● Adopted equitable prosecution policies to minimize the impact of over-policing and over-prosecution on communities of color.
● Launched evidence-based diversity equity and inclusion training for prosecutors and defense attorneys on the traumatic impact of policing on black and LatinX people.
Berkshire County will continue to benefit from the work she has been doing and by what she brings to this office.
I hope you also want to see positive changes and new approaches continue to improve the many facets of the District Attorney’s office.
I am confident in the work that Andrea Harrington has done and will continue to do.
I hope that on September 6th, you will vote to support her efforts on our behalf.
Hinda Bodinger
Egremont
