The four candidates vying for the open District Attorney’s seat in Hampden County all agree the criminal justice system needs fixing. The candidates met in a debate hosted by the NAACP last night in Springfield.

The main challenge for candidates in this race will be to stand out. All four are white men, all are lawyers, all are Democrats. The candidates, Shawn Allyn, Hal Etkin, Anthony Gulluni, and Brett Vottero, also agreed on most issues. For example, the need to keep juvenile offenders from heading into an already overcrowded prison system.

“If we can keep a young person…out of jail, or out of prison, I think we’re being successful,” said Gulluni. “So the eye has to be on rehabilitation, because we can not incarcerate our way out of the current urban crime problem in particular.”

Brett Vottero, meanwhile focused on improving rehabilitation programs for those leaving prison.

“Right now, somebody comes out of prison, and if it’s a drug offense, they can’t get public housing, they can’t get educational loans, they can’t get public assistance, they can’t get a driver’s license,” said Vottero, “and then we are surprised when they come back in to the system.”

The candidates also each emphasized their work with diverse communities, and were asked after the debate to join the NAACP. Only Shawn Allyn was already a member. No Republicans or Independents are running, so the election will be decided in the Democratic primary on September 9th.