As many of you know, I have spent the past 11 years working to support smart and evidence driven changes in the criminal justice system in Franklin County Massachusetts. After 11 years of full time work for the State, my family decided to pour ourselves into an immersive experience to learn another language (spanish) and give our children an opportunity to gain perspective about this beautiful world we live in.
In August 2024, I transitioned to a part-time contract position with an agreement to return to full time work in July 2025 at the Franklin County Sheriff’s Office. However, with the recent retirement of Christopher J Donelan (1/31/25), I was notified on Monday (2/3/25) that the appointed Sheriff decided to not-renew my position. Though this is somewhat expected, I can’t deny that I am sad to receive this news and troubled by the accelerated timeline – February 7, 2025 is my last day.
This closes a chapter on what has been one of the most rewarding professional experiences of my career – thus far. Along the way not only did I get to work with some remarkable colleagues, but I also had the opportunity to work with countless amazing people in adjacent professions from across the country.
I want to take a moment to let you know how truly grateful I am to have had the opportunity to do this work. I have evolved in so many ways because of the people I worked with and the opportunities to learn from it. I will cherish time and am grateful to have been part of the process of such important work – and excited about what comes next.
I plan to continue to work in the field of wellness and recovery, though I am not yet sure of exactly what form that will take. My business, VBBS, LLC will continue to provide technical assistance and consulting, and I may expand to take on a small private practice or additional remote work in the short term … time will tell.
Once again, thank you for all that you do in this world. I am very proud and humbled by the collective accomplishments and I look forward to what comes next. There is some great work happening across the country at the intersections of wellness, addiction, mental health, trauma and incarceration.
With my sincerest respect and gratitude,
Levin
