WOBURN – After dedicating a lot of her profession to serving to at-risk youth, selling diversion packages and advocating for equity, Antonia Soares Thompson has a brand new job: the primary director of racial justice initiatives in County of Middlesex.

Middlesex County District Lawyer Marian Ryan not too long ago introduced the appointment of Soares Thompson to the publish, which she started on March 2.

Soares Thompson will broaden the DA workplace’s efforts to advertise racial justice and equity and conduct trainings with native police departments and DA workplace workers on the topic.

“It is ahead pondering of the district lawyer’s half to look internally as a result of… perhaps there was an emphasis on the work that must be carried out via all of the social unrest that is been occurring throughout the nation since then. ‘final summer time,’ Soares Thompson stated. “To enhance the prosecution of crimes, to convey down the disparate numbers that we see of mass incarcerations of individuals of colour, it is smart to look to the interior prosecutor’s workplace.”

Soares Thompson, initially from Seekonk, has a protracted profession in legal justice reform and is especially enthusiastic about working with minors. She not too long ago served eight years within the mayor’s workplace in Stamford, Connecticut, in his Workplace of Youth Providers, specializing in restorative justice. On this position, she has centered on connecting with disengaged youth, working with at-risk households within the college system to advertise fairness, and establishing diversion packages for youngsters who’re in want. contain within the legal justice system, amongst others.

“I really like interacting with the general public and dealing with youngsters and youth,” she stated. “I am so excited to come back again to the DA’s workplace, as a result of it is all about public engagement, after which marrying that with the regulation and public security. For me, it is only a improbable match.

Ryan stated this position was a pure continuation of the equity work the county has already been engaged in.

“We did loads of work on this, and it turned clear that one of many issues we wanted was an inner voice that was actually simply centered on these points, and who may assist us with coaching points,” to make use of diversion packages, and round actually understanding and utilizing the tutorial sources that we’re lucky to have right here in Middlesex, to do the perfect and most forward-thinking work, and to essentially rethink the way it works. a prosecutor’s workplace, ”she stated.

Ryan stated she selected Soares Thompson for the job, after analysis that started over the summer time, for her expertise as a protection lawyer and trainer, and in academia.

“I’ve been, for a very long time, and we’ve got on this workplace, a really huge supporter of diversion packages like restorative justice and the like, and Antonia actually brings a specialty in these areas,” she stated. “She was the right particular person for that.”

In his new position, Soares Thompson sees constructing confidence as his largest problem.

“If we would like legal justice reform, then there needs to be an trustworthy dialog about the place the gaps are? The place are the issues we have to do to have that impression, to see the variety of mass incarcerations go down, to do the diversion work? ” she stated.

She added that these face-to-face and trust-building conversations can be made simpler when the pandemic subsides.

She stated she hopes to verify the workers on the Middlesex DA workplace are comfy with their jobs.

“No. 1 is to (ask), what are our cultural abilities that we’ve got within the workplace? The place do folks really feel good? The place do they wish to know extra?” She stated.

She stated she plans to proceed organizing cultural abilities coaching, growing initiatives to assist prosecutors do their greatest, and dealing with Ryan’s anti-hate and anti-prejudice activity power.

Because the George Floyd case heads to trial, Soares Thompson has acknowledged that constructing belief and creating change inside Middlesex County Police will even be a problem. As a result of Ryan created Soares Thompson’s place, “it is a signal to the group and regulation enforcement that issues want to vary considerably, and that (Ryan) expects his group companions to work. in a really optimistic and impactful manner, ”Soares Says Thompson. “By doing that, she form of paved the best way for it to be a bit profitable.”

As a result of these relationships exist already, she hopes she will construct on them whereas bringing about change.

Ryan hopes Soares Thompson’s place will advance the present work of the Lawyer Basic’s workplace, comparable to eliminating money bail for sure offenses and supporting legal justice reform and diversion measures.

“It may be straightforward to create these sorts of positions, but it surely has actually advanced because of our work during the last three or 4 years,” Ryan stated. “He is a brand new particular person on this place, but it surely’s the continuation of an effort that has been occurring for a number of years now.”