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Criminal Justice

New bill waives bail, fails to address the root of the problem

A new bill being sponsored by six Republicans in the State Senate would provide additional opportunities for judges to choose not to require bail for poor defendants accused of low-level offenses. The bill would also give police officers the flexibility to issue citations in place of criminal charges. Deal is supporting this bill and claims it’s the next step for criminal justice reform and a “foundation for a more equitable criminal justice system and brings

Criminal Justice

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 might be, “that’s great, we’re giving prisoners something meaningful to do, and skill sets they can use in the future.”

Education

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 opportunities later in life, as well as better health outcomes are all linked to greater access to quality education. Notably,

Healthcare

Man dies in Ga. prison after officials did nothing for ten days

For ten days, Randall Davison sought medical care for an infection but was denied access to treatment. Davison’s condition worsened and he ultimately died after having developed liver, renal and respiratory failure. How does someone die a painful and completely preventable death, when there are — or should be — medical personnel just around the corner? Davison was incarcerated at Georgia State Prison in Reidsville, and his sister is now suing Georgia Correctional Health, the private company

2016 Legislative Session

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.