Fact sheet, justice reinvestment 2020

FACT SHEET
JUSTICE REINVESTMENT

2020

TIMOTHY C. WARD COMMISSIONER RICKY MYRICK CHIEF OF STAFF

BACKGROUND
Georgia House Bill (HB) 265 established the 2011 Special Council on Criminal Justice Reform.
Council tasked to seek new ways to protect public safety while controlling the growth of prison cost.
GOALS OF THE COUNCIL
Address growth of state's prison populations, contain corrections' costs and increase efficiencies and effectiveness that result in better offender management.
Improve public safety by reinvesting a portion of the savings into strategies that reduce crime and recidivism.
Hold offenders accountable by strengthening community-based supervision, sanctions and services.
GEORGIA HOUSE BILL 1176 PROVISIONS ON CRIMINAL JUSTICE REFORM IN THREE AREAS
Sentencing and prison admissions Prison length-of-stay and parole Community supervision
CORRECTIONS TRENDS AND THE HIGH COST OF INACTION
Pew Study in 2009 1 in 13 Georgians under some form of correctional
supervision 9th in overall population 5th largest prison population in US (2009), currently
4th More than 58,000 offenders in DOC facilities Active probationers 162,371 Budget is up to $1.1 billion Despite growth in prison population and spending,
Georgia recidivism rate has remained unchanged around 30% throughout the past decade. If no change in current policies, analysis indicates Georgia's prison population will rise by an additional 8% to reach nearly 60,000 inmates by 2016. Cost of Inaction - $264 million over the next 5 years
OVERVIEW
MODEL: DEPARTMENT'S STRATEGIES FOR IMPLEMENTING PROVISIONS OF HB 1176
Analyze criminal justice trends to understand factors driving jail, prison and probation populations
Develop and implement policy options to generate savings and increase public safety

Quantify costs and potential savings Reinvest in select, high-risk communities and other
prevention-oriented strategies. Assess impact of reinvestment strategies and enhance
the accountability of criminal justice system actors and policies.
FOUR TARGET AREAS INFLUENCING PRISON POPULATIONS AND COST SAVING MEASURES
Admissions to prison, length of stay in jail, length of stay in diagnostics and length of stay in state prison
TARGETS OF INFLUENCE
ADMISSIONS (PRE-ADMISSIONS)
Any case that has not yet been sentenced to serve time in the prison system
Invest in community supervision and thus reduce number of cases revoked to prison by probation and parole each year
10 Step Framework Developed March 2009 Framework steps:
1. Sort offenders by risk 2. Community Impact Programs (CIP) 3. Evidence-based programming 4. Georgia Department of Corrections (GDC)
sentencing model/speciality courts 5. Utilize technology to improve efficiencies and
enhance supervision 6. Impose swift, certain and proportionate sanctions 7. Provide awards for probation officers and
incentives for offenders 8. Seamless transition from incarceration to probation
(Reentry) 9. Probation Accountability Report/COMPSTAT 10. Probation Legislation Community and Secure Alternatives for Substance Abuse and Mental Health Resources Day Reporting Centers
15 currently Day Reporting Center Lite Program
17 circuits Residential Substance Abuse Treatment Centers
(RSAT) 5 Probation RSATs 2 Integrated Treatment (dual diagnosis mental health) RSATs

FACT SHEET
JUSTICE REINVESTMENT

2020

TIMOTHY C. WARD COMMISSIONER RICKY MYRICK CHIEF OF STAFF

LENGTH OF STAY AT THE COUNTY JAILS
Shorten length of time offenders spend in county jails before entering the state prison system by improving current practices by implementing:
Standardized sentences, electronic packets and proactive assessments

LENGTH OF STAY AT DIAGNOSTICS
Quicker determination of offender's needs and risks to place them in the proper institution and programming
Logistics/Infrastructure Redesign locations for diagnostics and classification entry and flow be colocated together to increase efficiency and create a time and money savings
Paperwork/Communications - forms and communication are now entered into the computerized system, SCRIBE
Shortened Diagnostic offenders who serve short
sentences or have been out of the system for less than a year and meet the criteria can be processed for intake at Coastal State Prison. Diagnostics shortened from 30 to 10 days which resulted in 100 offenders being processed per day versus 100 per week
Transportation Hubs regional hubs established so local sheriff's offices could transport offenders entering the system to a central location. GDC would transport offender remainder of the way to diagnostic facilities. Results in monetary savings, as well as reduction of jail backlog and associated cost

LENGTH OF STAY IN THE STATE PRISONS

Reduce the time offenders remain in custody without

compromising public safety

Sentencing Practices suggest sentencing in

months rather than years

Coastal Category II abbreviate intake process

and design for offenders who will be in the system

for less than two years and have very specific

needs such as substance abuse

Strategic Intervention Program - RSAT (6

months); Intensive Reentry Program (IRP- 90

days, target non-violent offenders with a history of

substance abuse); and Faith and Character Based

Program (2 years)

Other areas targeted for improvement and cost

saving

Aging population, Mental health



population, Faith-based dorms, Private



providers, Parole collaboration, Tentative



parole month, Performance Incentive



Credit Program and commuting certain



sentences to probation

HOUSE BILL 349
Governor Deal signed into law on April 25, 2013; follow-up legislation to HB 1176
MANDATORY MINIMUM SAFETY VALUE Drug Trafficking
Can reduce sentence/fine by up to 50percent, if offender was not the leader, did not possess or use a weapon, no death or serious injury occurred, no prior felony convictions, interest of justice will not be served by mandatory sentence
Seven Deadly Sins
Prosecution and Defense must agree Not eligible for earned time, early release or other
sentence reduction measures Eligible for Transitional Centers during last year of
sentence
CREATED GEORGIA COUNCIL ON CRIMINAL JUSTICE REFORM
15 member panel Requirements: must meet twice a year, four year terms,
report every two years to the Governor, Office of Planning and Budget, Chair of House and Senate, and Appropriation and Chair of House and Senate Judiciary
MEDICAL REPRIEVES
Board of Pardons and Paroles may issue a medical reprieve to an entirely incapacitated person suffering a progressively debilitating terminal illness
OTHER AREAS
Hope Voucher ($500 available for offenders who receive their GED while incarcerated), Offender Pay Drug Screens (researching best practices on how to implement effectively) and Limited Driving Permits for Accountability Courts (Allows permits for participants to attend treatment)
SENATE BILL 365
Governor Deal signed into law 2014; effective July 1, 2014; follow up legislation to HB1176 and HB349
Focused on post-incarceration reforms suggested by the Georgia Council on Criminal Justice Reform
Developed and implement programs to assist adult offenders with reentry
Provided liability protection to employers who hire former offenders who successfully completed GDC pre-release programs
Created a Program Treatment Completion certificate, which went into effect February 2015