Chesa Boudin may no longer be the district attorney in San Francisco, but he is still moving the needle toward public safety reform.
Boudin visited San Quentin Rehabilitation Center in a well-fitted casual gray suit and sat down with me in the Ear Hustle podcast room for an on-camera interview about his new life after the recall as DA, a new job and a new documentary.
“They followed me and my family for three years,” he said in reference to the documentary. “But it’s not about me, it’s about a movement. It’s a story about the racist mass incarceration and our generation’s long struggle with this issue.”
The documentary film “Beyond Bars,” released last year, depicts the life story of the former district attorney and his family. The 90-minute Brave New Film production premiered in San Francisco in October. It is touring the country, landing in places like Los Angeles, Portland and New York.
“The documentary takes a deep dive into the issue of parental incarceration,” Boudin said. “My dad did 40 years in prison. When I met him he was in a New York state prison.”
Boudin said the first thing he wanted to do when his father got released was to buy him a good cup of coffee, but when he tried, his father said, “What is this? I like Folgers Instant,” Boudin remembers while laughing.
The film showcases interviews with Boudin’s father, conducted in and out of prison. The documentary shows many old family photos.
“You can see me as a kid in some questionable outfits with a mullet,” Boudin said.
Boudin describes himself as part of a sandwich generation in which he now cares for his new child, his father and his in-laws.
“I never wanted a career in politics,” he said. “It made sense at that moment in 2020 when we decided to run.”
Boudin is talking about a time in recent history when Americans were screaming Black Lives Matter over multiple police killings of unarmed Black people. It was after the killing of George Floyd in Minnesota by Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin, who was later found guilty of murder by a jury.
At that time, the nation was counting COVID-19 deaths, demanding racial reconciliation and an end to political corruption, and there were efforts to defund police. The message of progressive politicians was resonating.
“We knew what the whole game was about before we even ran for office. We knew we would make powerful enemies,” said Boudin.
Boudin’s voice took on a more serious tone when I asked about his life since the recall as the 29th district attorney of San Francisco.
“When people recognize me they come and they say we miss you. We want you to run again, you’re still my DA,” he said. “I have had opportunities to run for DA since being recalled, but I chose not to because of my family. I’m still a husband, a father and a son.”
Today, Boudin is the founding executive director of the UC Berkeley School of Law’s Criminal Law and Justice Center. He has a new goal of building connections between academia and the wider world. He believes that justice concerns not just punishment, but addressing the root causes of crime and helping everyone to find healing.
In his free time, Boudin volunteers at San Quentin as a marathon running coach for the 1000 Mile Running Club. He walks down to the Lower Yard, dressed in the signature black running club attire, a couple times a month. He is an avid runner himself with some impressive marathon times, but his passion seems to be creating a more equitable criminal justice system.
I asked Boudin if he had any thoughts or feelings toward Brooke Jenkins, who supported the recall campaign against him and was appointed by Mayor London Breed to replace him as district attorney. He didn’t hold back.
“They ran a recall campaign promising they were going to bring down crime,” he said. “That hasn’t happened. I don’t see her as a person that’s honest or who has integrity.”
Boudin said the courts have reversed Jenkins’ trials in multiple cases and alleged that she has committed multiple ethics violations. He believes that she has done damage to the office and to the integrity of the cases brought by the office.
“The dishonesty really undermines justice, undermines the ability of the office to secure convictions in cases where convictions are warranted, “said Boudin.
Boudin said Jenkins gets a free pass from the media about the issue of crime in San Francisco.
“When I was DA everything that went wrong was my fault. You got a parking ticket – that was my fault. You break into somebody’s car – that was my fault,” he said.
“Her ‘tough on crime’ policies are resulting in more crime, not less,” said Boudin.
Jenkins visited San Quentin late last year for a symposium with incarcerated people about crime and punishment.
“How do you feel about Boudin?” I asked her at this event. “That’s over with,” she responded.
Boudin said he remains skeptical about Jenkins coming inside of a prison. He believes it’s simply a photo op to share on social media.
He is also skeptical of Gov. Gavin Newsom’s “California model” to transform the state’s criminal justice system.
“It’s great rhetoric,” he said. “The question is: is there follow through?”
“We absolutely need more programming in prison. Physical and mental health care for everyone is necessary,” Boudin said. “These institutions are not human. The way these systems are set up, they dehumanize everybody they touch, everybody who lives in them, works in them, and visits them.”
According to Boudin, the movement for criminal justice reform has to become bigger, deeper and stronger than any one person. He said he feels excited to see who will step up and what the new face of leadership for believers in justice and safety will look like.
“My hope is that the film and the work I’m doing helps cultivate the next generation of criminal justice reformers,” he said.