End the trauma-to-prison pipeline.
Get kids on paths of opportunity, not incarceration.
Address mental health and addiction. Proven diversion programs reduce crime and save money and lives.
Attack systemic racism.
Appoint Black and Latino judges. Address grotesque sentencing and incarceration disparities.
Endorsements
Central Mass.
AFL-CIO
Senate
President Emerita Harriette Chandler
Worcester
Senator
Anne Gobi
Spencer
Carpenters
Local 336
Congresswoman Lori Trahan
Representative Jim O'Day
Worcester
Worcester Register of Deeds
Katie Toomey
Representative
Natalie Higgins
Leominster
Worcester City Councillor Sean Rose
Representative Stephen Hay Fitchburg
Bay State
Stonewall Dems
Representative John Mahoney
Worcester
Leominster City Councilor Sue Chalifoux
Former Mayor of Worcester Joe O'Brien
Fmr. Leominster City Councilor Rick Marchand
Worcester City Councilor
Khrystian King
Jimmy Tingle
Worcester City Councilor Gary Rosen
Leominster School Committee Peter Haigis
Fitchburg City Councilor Beth Walsh
Leominster City Councilor David Cormier
Leominster School Committee Brandon Robbins
Lunenburg Democratic Town Committee
Grassroots
Central Mass.
Fitchburg Democratic City Committee
Leominster School Committee Isabelle Alera
Clinton Democratic Town Committee
Bellingham Democratic Town Committee
Quentin Palfrey
Spencer
Democratic Town Committee
Leominster
Democratic City Committee
Judges matter!
Governor's Council is an 8-member body that approves state judges, Parole Board members, and Industrial Accident Board members. Paul DePalo is an attorney, former Special Education teacher who developed and taught in alternative programing for at-risk teens, father of two daughters, and member of the Worcester Planning Board.
Crime prevention starts in juvenile court: let's end the trauma-to-prison pipeline.
Kids dealing with trauma, abuse, and lack of stability are most likely to be referred to our courts. Often, they're referred to the courts over behavior for which children with a stable homelife would merely be grounded. Once in the system, consequences for typical teenage behavior escalate, and statistics show that these kids are likely to be in jail as adults. We spend $60k/year to lock someone up, when we could spend far less early in these kids' lives to put them on paths of opportunity, not of incarceration.
Public safety includes tackling mental health and addiction: evidence-based diversion and rehabilitation saves lives, saves money, and reduces recidivism.
Mental health and addiction have been impacting our communities and justice system for decades. Yet, we've been removing mental health experts from the Parole Board- my vote on the Council will reverse that trend.
Our Parole Board, beside shedding mental health experts, is nearly all-white and all-prosecutor. It also has not held a clemency hearing in years, in spite of hundreds of applications. I will insist on a Parole Board that does its job and consists of multiple professional backgrounds that intersect with the justice system.
Address systemic racism, and protect women's and LGBTQ rights.
We need a judiciary that reflects the vibrant diversity of our Commonwealth, and especially one that reflects the population caught up in our criminal justice system, which is disproportionately Black and Latino. We also need parity for women on the bench. I'll insist on a judiciary with diverse perspectives and life experiences.
With Trump filling our federal courts being filled with young, idealogical, lifetime appointed judges, I'll insist on Massachusetts judges who will protect women's rights, workers' rights, and civil rights for everyone in our inclusive Commonwealth.
About Paul
Paul’s an attorney, former special education teacher, father of two daughters, and member of the Worcester Planning Board.
As an educator, Paul taught in a variety of settings, including alternative programming for kids with social and emotional disabilities. He was also a Principal Resident in Boston Public Schools.
As an attorney, Paul has represented international corporations in state and federal courts at a Boston firm, been recognized for his pro bono work in education law, and managed a solo practice. At Northeastern Law, Paul clerked for the Suffolk County District Attorney's Child Abuse and Appellate Units; EMC's General Counsel Office; and for a Federal Majistrate Judge.
Wesleyan University, BA
Northeastern University School of Law, JD
Fitchburg State University, MEd
Paul was the 2018 Democratic nominee for Governor's Council in District 7 (Central MA), earning 48% (146,422 votes) against a 4-term Republican incumbent.
About Governor's Council
Governor's Council consists of 8 Councilors and the Lieutenant Governor, who serves ex officio. The Council’s work includes approving or rejecting the Governor’s judicial, parole board, and industrial accident board nominees. Each Councilor is elected from a district comprised of 5 state senate districts.
