Suffolk County Sheriff Steven W. Tompkins joined a roundtable discussion with members of the Civic Action project (CAP) at the UMass Club in Boston. A pilot program offering a ten-week paid summer internship for 8-10 CAP Fellows, this compelling series is designed to teach leaders and citizens alike about the mechanisms that make a representative democracy work. Participating Fellows learn the practical skills needed to access and influence the intersection between policy and politics, business and government, and civic engagement versus antipathy. Sheriff Tompkins spoke to the group about some of the work that he’s done around corrections and public health and safety, and talked about the importance of civic engagement and participation.