Deals Signs Criminal Justice Reform Bill
- Public Safety Performance Project
- Source: WTOC
- May 2, 2012
Georgia's criminal justice system faces some big changes. Gov. Nathan Deal signed into law HB 1176, which seeks alternative treatments for punishing nonviolent crimes and frees up prison space for offenders who pose a danger to society, according to the governor's office.
"With this bold new direction in criminal justice, we will bolster public safety, increase our chances of rehabilitating lives and bend the unsustainable cost curve we face in our prison system," Deal said in a statement. "We spend $1.2 billion a year on our prison system and those costs were set to soar far beyond what we can afford. That makes no sense for taxpayers when there are most cost-effective means that have better outcomes.
The law the result of recommendations from the Special Council on Criminal Justice Reform for Georgians, which was created in the 2011 legislative session, according to the council's report.
Read the full article at wtoc.com.
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