Georgia Reforms Gave Us More Choices, Better Results

Based on a 2013 report, the juvenile justice system in Georgia was “producing poor results for taxpayers and youth alike.” Today, only five years into a process to reform the system, Joe Vignati, assistant commissioner of the Georgia Department of Justice, and Dan Edwards, president of Evidence-Based Associates, write that the state has experienced “remarkable change.” By providing community-based services, Georgia has decreased the number of youth in secure confinement by 36% and the number of youth in secure detention by 11%. They say reforms have reduced costs while protecting public safety. In listing some of the “practical” changes made to better serve youth in the system, VIgnati and Edwards include the use of statewide risk assessments validated by the National Council on Crime and Delinquency for determining the best placement settings for young people. Read the full story about juvenile justice reform in Georgia here.