We see the stereotypes on TV and on the big screen. The hard-nosed detective brings a criminal investigation to a passionate District Attorney, someone married to her job, working late into the night, consumed by an unrelenting drive to get justice for crime victims.

In my time as an assistant DA and a federal prosecutor, I was taught that fairness, ethics, and sharp legal skills were the most critical aspects of the job. Dedication to public service was gritting your teeth through long hours, conversations with people in traumatic situations, and making momentous decisions that dictated others' lives. As I gained experience and found myself mentoring young lawyers, I recognized that something was missing in prosecutorial training: a discussion of how the work impacts the well-being of the prosecutors themselves.

While much of the recent attention paid to reform in prosecutors' offices focus on policy changes like bail reform, decriminalization of certain offenses, and sentence reduction, some are beginning to notice the gap in wellness education for prosecutors and the impact that can have on the fair adjudication of cases. A prosecutor wears many hats, chief among them "spaceholder," a term often reserved for therapists and social workers. Prosecutors routinely respond to vulnerable community members and make decisions in the midst of the fallout of traumatic situations. Over time, I realized that the ability to fill that role with grace requires training in mindfulness and attention to one's own well-being. In fact, such training is the only criminal justice reform that every prosecutor can implement today.