An article published by The Atlanta Journal-Constitution speaks about how Georgia has been transforming its criminal justice system over the past eight years. The state is looking to serve as a hub to push criminal justice issues nationwide, including working to create strategies that cut both crime and incarceration. The Council on Criminal Justice is pushing this movement as members serving on the committee will be split into task forces that will focus on specific initiatives, including federal priorities. The reforms that this specific task force have implemented in Georgia saved an estimated $264 million in projected spending for new prisons. While this was happening, violent crime and property crime rates have dropped, as well as prison admissions. More programs are being created and put into place to serve as resources and treatments for offenders suffering from substance abuse and mental illness.
With President Donald Trump enacting the First Step Act, former Gov. Nathan Deal, who is chairing the task force on federal priorities, says “they’ve had tremendous—tremendous results—results that are incredible.” The legislation has helped shorten prison terms for federal inmates and increased job training and risk assessment programs for people in prison. The council is working to find more alternatives to incarceration and encouraging states to provide easier access to education, job training, drug treatment and anger management to those serving time, as it makes a difference. They are pushing to keep criminal justice reform a priority on both state and national levels and have the ability to do this. Georgia has become a leader in continuing to expand their justice reform programs by evaluating budgets, providing access to basic resources like education and substance abuse programs and working to improve prison life.