Georgia — Judges — Galsworthy Criminal Justice Reform Program

Judges

Defendants are regularly condemned to years, decades, or life in prison for minor infractions because of minimum sentencing statutes. If judges had more discretion in sentencing, then sentences could be more proportional to the crime, more specific to the individual defendant, and minimize the negative impact of minimum sentencing laws without inherently needing those laws repealed.

Georgia’s privatized probation and parole system isn’t working

“In Georgia, 1 out of every 18 people is on probation or parole. That’s a staggering figure. The U.S.average is 1 in 55. The state with the next highest rate after Georgia is Idaho, at 1 in 33. I suppose an advocate for private probation could point to some other state where it’s common, and where the rate of parole and probation is lower. But it’s hard to overcome the fact that Georgia sends more people to private parole and probation companies than any other state — and if the goal is to get people off of state supervision, that system clearly isn’t working.“

Washington Post

October 5, 2018

ParolePhillip ReevesOctober 10, 2018Washington Post, GeorgiaComment

Georgia juries are left in the dark when it comes to punishment

"In Georgia, except in death penalty cases, are not supposed to know anything about the potential punishment facing the accused. And jurors are also instructed to completely disregard any notions about sentencing during their deliberations."

Atlanta Journal-Constitution

June 8, 2018

SentencingAnthony BradleyJuly 27, 2018Atlanta Journal Constitution, Georgia, Juries

Judges

Galsworthy CJR Program

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