Jails and prisons keep families apart. Far too often, the people behind bars are a reflection of those who don’t have the resources to get out — to pay bail, to hire a good lawyer — rather that who’s guilty of any particular crime. This is a country that locks people in jail while they wait… [Read More]
Prefiled bill to prevent the shackling of pregnant prisoners
Pregnant prisoners can still be shackled during their pregnancy and while in labor in the state of Georgia. Rep. Keisha Waites, a Democrat from metro Atlanta’s southern suburbs, has prefiled a bill to end the practice. Women are part of a rapidly growing prison population, and about one in ten women prisoners will enter while… [Read More]
Georgia’s firefighters, sponsored by your local prison
You may not realize this, but Georgia, like many others states, runs on prison labor. Firefighting, park maintenance and roadside cleaning are all done by prison labor. In fact, GPB reports that firefighting services in nearly one third of the state’s counties are provided by prisoners, through a state funded initiative. A reasonable first reaction… [Read More]
Prison vs. school — how should Georgia invest?
Let’s say you’re in charge of a state, say a state like Georgia, and you are deciding on budgets. What makes more sense to invest in: prisons or schools? Maybe you’d look at the overwhelming evidence that investing in quality education — from preschool through college — has significant benefits. Better school performance, better economic… [Read More]
In Georgia, 100,000 children raised by grandparents
In Georgia, at least 100,000 grandparents are raising grandchildren and up to 300,000 children are being raised by aunts, uncles and other relatives. House Minority Leader Stacey Abrams (D-Atlanta) reveals her plan for kinship care to WABE reporter Denis O’Hayer.