DATA AND RESEARCH
Reform Georgia publishes justice data and policy research to increase transparency and awareness about the challenges we face as a state.
PUBLIC POLICY
Georgia is our home. We support evidence-based public policy that is informed by data and upholds our civil rights and human dignity.
STATE & LOCAL ADVOCACY
We seek to build coalition and collaborate with state leaders and local communities to help transform Georgia’s justice system.
Georgia’s Criminal Legal System
Statistics on Georgia’s criminal justice system illustrate a giant problem.
on probation
Nearly 420,000 Georgians are under probation, the highest rate of community supervision in the US.
locked up
Over 240,000 Georgians go to county jails each year. Over 55,000 are in state prison with an average 25-yr sentence.
JUSTICE FOR SALE
More than 60% of Georgians held in our 143 county jails on any given day are on pretrial detention (cash bail).
The Reform Georgia mission is simple.
We believe in building a better justice system.
We work to end mass incarceration in Georgia. We believe justice reform is a nonpartisan issue.
We believe in a future where all Georgians enjoy equality before the law and justice is not for sale. We advocate for state reforms and work with communities to implement local solutions. Read Our Platform
What do we stand for?
It’s simple. We want to end and reverse the effects of mass incarceration.
Here are our core goals:
KEEP PEOPLE OUT OF THE SYSTEM
Far too many Georgians are currently in the criminal justice system and many more have a criminal record. We must end and reverse mass incarceration.
END DISCRIMINATORY LAWS
Georgia’s criminal justice system impacts folks who are socially and economically marginalized at disproportionate rates. Our discriminatory laws must end.
DECRIMINALIZE POVERTY
We need to stop punishing people for living in poverty. This means ending practices that unfairly impact and incarcerate low-income Georgians.
SHRINK THE PROBATION SYSTEM
Georgia’s total probation population is the largest of any state, with a probation rate four times the national average. We need to shrink probation rates by 75%.
EXPUNGE CRIMINAL RECORDS
Over 4 million Georgians have a criminal record on file. We need to expand eligibility to include adult convictions and make the existing process easier and more affordable.
END FOR-PROFIT JUSTICE
Georgia’s justice system and the private prison industry extract money from the most vulnerable. The “offender-funded” model of probation must end and privatization needs to be reversed.
JUVENILE JUSTICE REFORM
Kids should not be treated like adults.
We need to target policies that fuel the school-to-prison pipeline such as ‘zero tolerance’ and ensure we’re not ruining young lives for juvenile mistakes.PRE-TRIAL DETENTION
We must end cash bail. Those without the means to pay bail should not be jailed. Pre-trial policies should be revised to reduce the number of people held before trial. It is overly punitive and expensive.
ALTERNATIVES TO INCARCERATION
Our current system does not work well. We need to expand compassionate approaches that keep people out of jail and focus on restorative justice, such as accountability courts and arrest diversion.
PROTECT CIVIL & VOTING RIGHTS
All individuals incarcerated or not have human and civil rights. Inhumane living conditions and cruel practices like solitary confinement should not be allowed. Voting rights for all must be restored.
Our Board of Directors
The work of Reform Georgia is made possible thanks to our talented Board of Directors from around the state with years of experience across multiple sectors. Together we represent Metro Atlanta and the coastal, middle, and southwest regions of Georgia.
Amanda Hollowell
Board Member
Bentley Hudgins
Board Member
Cass Odum
Board Vice Chair
Darby Cox
Board Chair
Fallon McClure
Board Member
James Bernard Pratt, Jr.
Board Member
Nikki Roberts
Board Member
Carl V. Lewis
In Memoriam
State Policy Goals:
End cash bail
64% of Georgians in jail are in pretrial detention. This means they haven’t even been convicted of a crime but are behind bars. Georgia should end the use of money as a form of pretrial bond. Any bond issued should be a signatory note, with exceptions for safety and flight risks.
END CASH BAILProbation Reform
Georgia has the largest probation system in the nation, with nearly 420,000 people under community supervision as of 2018 – that’s 1 in 25 Georgians. Felony probation sentences in GA are twice the national average and private companies burden people with high supervision fees that disproportionately impact lower-income Georgians.
PROBATION REFORM
Another statewide strategic goal:
Marijuana Legalization
Comprehensive Cannabis Law Reform
ReformGeorgia believes one of first steps in comprehensive justice reform is the complete legalization of cannabis and the retroactive sentencing of prior cannabis convictions. The legislature can pass this or they can put it on a ballet referendum. Legalization and retroactive sentencing must be paired so Georgians do not get left behind in the system.
READ COALITION STATEMENTFull Adult Use + Medical
Complete legalization of adult use and cultivation for personal use. Recognition of medical applications for all.
Retroactive Sentencing
Low-level cannabis convictions will be made eligible for retroactive discharge.
Access to Opportunity
We need to create an industry social equity program to ensure the most affected communities can enter these new industries.
Tax Revenue + Hemp
Agricultural/industrial hemp cultivation is a multi-billion dollar industry. Cannabis sales tax could generate almost $500 million a year.
Provide no-cost communications
In 2019, Georgia received over $8 million in revenue from contracts with for-profit companies providing phone services in state prisons.
These high call fees most severely impact low income families. Local communication contracts also punish those in pretrial detention. Phone calls, emails, and paper mail should not come at a fee to incarcerated individuals. NO COST COMMUNICATIONSDon’t sit on the sidelines.
Justice reform is a local issue.
Local Reforms at City and County Level
In the absence of statewide reforms, Georgia communities can implement local legal reforms to improve the local justice system and create stronger families and communities.
End Cash Bail
Cities and counties can end the use of money as pretrial bond to reduce pretrial detention rates and costs.
Decriminalize Cannabis
Cities and counties can decriminalize possession of less than one ounce, making it a ticketable offense only.
No-Cost Communication
Cities and counties can ensure that incarcerated individuals are not charged fees for making phone calls or sending emails.
End “Zero-Tolerance” Policies
School districts should end “zero-tolerance” policies that fuel the school-to-prison pipeline in Georgia.