Ever heard of the Childhood Adverse Experience (ACE) test? I hadn’t until I had a meeting with Jonathan Sahrbeck, who’s running for reelection as the Cumberland County District Attorney. I’d met with Jonathan because he impressed me at a forum, and I’d seen several “Reelect Sahrbeck for District Attorney” signs around town. Jonathan urged me to check out the ACE test so I did.

The ACE test assesses the amount of trauma a child might have experienced before the age of eighteen. Factors on the personal level include physical abuse, verbal abuse, sexual abuse, physical neglect and emotional neglect.

Factors on the family level include an alcoholic parent, a parent victim of domestic violence, a family member in jail, a family member with a mental illness and the disappearance of a parent through divorce, death or abandonment.

Simply put, bad beginnings lead to sad endings. The higher the ACE score, the more likely it is that a young person will end up in the juvenile justice system.

A graduate of Cape Elizabeth High School, Connecticut College and the American University Washington College of Law, Jonathan has spent his career striving for justice while acting with compassion. He spent five and a half years in district courts in Massachusetts before returning to Maine to work as the Maine Drug Enforcement Prosecutor in York County. “I attempted to use the laws at my disposal to target drug traffickers while trying to provide people with substance use disorder more tools to help themselves.”

In 2016, he joined the Cumberland County District Attorney’s Office as the Assistant District Attorney in charge of the Human Trafficking Unit. “I focused not only on prosecuting traffickers and targeting buyers of sex (aka “Johns”) through undercover prosecution stings, but also on educating law enforcement about the tell-tale signs of victimization. Those on the frontlines must see these women as victims and survivors as opposed to criminals so we can target the actual perpetrators of these heinous crimes.”

Elected as District Attorney in 2018, Jonathan has overseen several efforts designed to address mental health issues and substance use disorder. To that end, he has tried to educate the public about the effects of adverse childhood experiences and trauma. For example, he notes that he has created the Cumberland County Coalition on Substance Use Disorder, which works with over 50 community groups, law enforcement, treatment providers, substance use advocates, and recovery allies to network and work together to help people suffering.

He has also organized racial equity training for Cumberland County and prosecutors statewide to examine and learn about implicit bias, anti-racism, and racial equity, diversity and inclusion.

In addition, as the top prosecutor in Cumberland County, he works with and supports law enforcement in order to protect public safety, speak for victims and help reduce defendant recidivism.

As a Democrat with a progressive approach, Jonathan oversees an organization with 20 prosecutors and 30 staff members. “Every day, I need to distinguish a person who’s been adversely affected by drug use or trauma from a person who represents a real public safety risk.”

When I asked Jonathan why he chose to work in the criminal justice system rather than a more lucrative area of the law, he said, “This job won’t put me in diamonds and furs; there are no contingency fees or billable hours. It’s about being dedicated to making a difference, putting someone on the right track, savoring the little wins.”

Sadly, Jonathan’s opponent has been using $300,000 of out-of-state PAC money to cast aspersions on his judicial philosophy and his character. Maine deserves better than that. Such funds would be better spent on programs designed to improve the treatment of victims of drug abuse and other childhood traumas.

Because I share Jonathan Sahrbeck’s progressive approach to prison reform, I’m proud to support his candidacy for reelection on Tuesday, June 14. Please join me.

David Treadwell, a Brunswick writer, welcomes commentary and suggestions for future Just a Little Old” columns. dtreadw575@aol.com.