ATLANTA – The Georgia House of Representatives today passed House Bill 265 by a vote of 169 to 1, showing broad bi-partisan support for the bill. Introduced by State Representative Jay Neal (R-Lafayette), this legislation begins the process of reforming Georgia’s criminal justice system by creating the 2011 Special Council on Criminal Justice Reform for Georgians and the Special Joint Committee on Georgia Criminal Justice Reform.
“HB 265 and the reforms that it will ultimately create will allow Georgia to stop wasting money on expensive short term prison services for drug addicts and the mentally ill. Instead, it will allow the state to provide treatment that helps the individual, relieves our overburdened justice system, and saves the state money,” said Representative Neal. “The goal of these reforms is to improve public safety and save taxpayer dollars. Basically, we’re trying to make criminals into law-abiding taxpayers, not tax burdens.”
Currently, Georgia has the fourth-highest incarceration rate in the nation. As a result, the state spends more than $1 billion annually on its corrections system. However, recent studies suggest that an estimated three-fourths of the state’s prison population is believed to have some type of drug addiction, which could be treated at much lower costs than imprisonment. For example, Georgia pays $49 per day per inmate housed in a state prison, compared to $1.50 per day for probation supervision or $16 per day for community treatment at a Day Reporting Center.
Many states, including Texas and South Carolina, have already implemented programs that supervise some non-violent offenders outside of prison and treat the root causes of their crimes.
Under HB 265, the Special Council on Criminal Justice Reform for Georgians would be comprised of 11 members appointed by the leaders of Georgia’s three branches of government. Specifically, the governor will appoint one member, the Chief Justice of the Georgia Supreme Court will appoint two members, and the Speaker of the House and Lieutenant Governor will each appoint three members. Additionally, the House and Senate Minority Leaders will each appoint one member to the Council. The chairperson of the Council will be selected by a majority vote of Council members.
The Council will be tasked with studying the state’s current criminal justice structure and criminal sentencing procedures for nonviolent offenders, like drug users and the mentally ill. The study would also review sentencing reforms and alternatives to imprisonment for nonviolent offenders. Findings from the Council’s study would be submitted to the General Assembly by November 1, 2011.
Once the Council’s findings are submitted to the General Assembly, they will be reviewed and evaluated by the Special Joint Committee on Georgia Criminal Justice Reform. This Joint Committee will ultimately use the Council’s findings to create and introduce legislation reforming Georgia’s criminal justice system.
The 17 member Special Joint Committee on Georgia Criminal Justice Reform will function in a bipartisan manner. Committee members will include the House Speaker Pro Tempore, Senate President Pro Tempore, House and Senate Majority Leaders, House and Senate Minority Leaders, Chairman of the House Judiciary Non-Civil Committee, Chairman of the House Judiciary Committee, Chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee, Chairman of the House Committee on State Institutions and Property, and Chairman of the Senate State Institutions and Property Committee. The remaining six seats will be with the three state representatives appointed by from the Speaker of the House and three state senators appointed by the Lieutenant Governor. The chairs of the House Committee on Judiciary Non-Civil and Senate Judiciary Committee will co-chair of the Joint Committee.
For more information on HB 265, please click here.
Representative Jay Neal represents the citizens of District 1, which includes portions of Catoosa and Walker counties. He was elected into the House of Representatives in 2004, and is currently the Chairman of the State Institutions & Property Committee. He also serves on the Appropriations, Economic Development & Tourism, Insurance, and Public Safety & Homeland Security committees.
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