Yesterday, the AJC covered Georgia Supreme Court Chief Justice Carol Hunstein’s address to Georgia lawmakers, which encouraged implementation of the recommendations that came out of the Governor’s Special Council on Criminal Justice Reform. As child advocates, we are especially happy that her address also encouraged juvenile justice reform, calling for treatments and interventions for juvenile offenders rather than incarceration. (Read this compelling part of her speech here.)

The Child Protection and Public Safety Act (SB 127/HB 641), currently being considered by both the Senate and House, is the answer to her call for reform. The “Children’s Code Rewrite,” as we like to say, is a complete rewrite of Georgia’s juvenile code, and when enacted, will improve the lives of court-involved children and youth. (This includes children in the juvenile justice and foster care systems.) If you’re unfamiliar, the Children’s Code Rewrite effort is being led by JUSTGeorgia, a statewide coalition of more than 500 members, including Voices, and is the result of six years of stakeholder engagement and feedback. 

To learn more about the Children’s Code Rewrite and JUSTGeorgia, including how to become an advocate for this important change, visit the coalition’s website: www.justga.org . You can also contact me, JUSTGeorgia’s project manager, at jneighbors@justga.org.