Voters have an extremely important decision to make in the upcoming election.

In the last few years the District Attorney’s Office has engaged in the practice of sentence bargaining. This has occurred in many cases where the defendant is clearly a risk to our community.

The district attorney has regularly agreed to admit offenders to probation (community supervision) with limited or no jail time.

This often occurs when a reasonable application of the rules of court clearly indicate that probation should be denied and or a prison sentence should be imposed.

Sentence bargaining is even occurring after some of these offenders violate their probation!

Steve Brown has pledged to use sentence bargaining only when public safety is not at risk, and not for those individuals who could never reasonably be expected to successfully complete probation.

His opponent has made it clear that she is not running to make these types of necessary policy changes and will instead maintain the status quo that is contrary to public safety.

I urge you to vote for public safety and justice! On June 5, 2018, vote Steve Brown for district attorney.

Steve Buchholz is the retired chief probation officer for Lake County, Calif.