Legislative Update: Criminal Justice Reform-Tough on Crime, Smart on Crime
By Rep. Alan Powell
As the next step in Georgia’s highly successful criminal justice reforms of the past several years, legislation proposed by Gov. Nathan Deal is now being considered to combine the supervision functions of three state agencies into a new Department of Community Supervisions.
Under HB 310, the new combined agency would assume the current supervisory functions of the Board of Pardons and Paroles, the Department of Juvenile Justice and the Department of Corrections. The proposal is designed to streamline government oversight and communications, save tax dollars and improve the delivery of justice in our state.
Just last week, the Georgia Council on Criminal Justice Reform reported a reduction in the growth rate of adults behind bars, the near elimination of a backlog of state inmates being placed in county jails and a 62 percent decline in juvenile offenders locked up in state facilities.
These improvements are the result of reforms aimed at using less-expensive counseling and supervision for non-violent offenders, while freeing up prison beds for the most dangerous criminals. It is also in the interest of the state to reduce the criminal recidivism rate and ensure that inmates completing their sentences are able to re-enter society as productive citizens instead of returning to criminal behavior.
HB 310 also addresses issues dealing with private probation providers for misdemeanor offenses, requiring greater transparency in the process. As chairman of the House Public Safety & Homeland Security Committee, I will be deeply involved in moving the Governor’s proposal forward.
For-Hire Transportation: On another public safety issue, consumer protection legislation now pending in the House Regulated Industries Committee to require all for-hire drivers to obtain a for-hire license endorsement before driving for hire in Georgia.
The purpose of HB 225 is to ensure that drivers for limousine carriers, ride share network services and taxi services have successfully undergone criminal background checks and carry sufficient liability insurance coverage for the protection of passengers.
Removing Diploma Barrier: The House voted Feb. 12 to approve legislation that would retroactively provide former students who did not pass the Georgia High School Graduation Test with the opportunity to earn a high school diploma.
The graduation test was phased out three years ago, but it remains a barrier for some students who attended high school when graduation was partly contingent on passing the exam. HB 91 would allow students who had failed the test but met all other graduation requirements to petition their local school board to obtain a diploma from their high school.
This legislation would help these students in pursuing postsecondary education and in entering the job market. HB 91 now goes to the Senate for its consideration.
Services for Aging Population: On Feb. 11, the House voted to approve legislation that would establish the Georgia Adult and Aging Services Agency to be responsible for ensuring that state services are properly and effectively administered to meet the needs of older adults and people with disabilities, along with making improvements to those services when necessary.
HB 86 moves the current Division of Aging Services out of the massive Department of Human Services, allowing state officials to better focus on individuals dealing with Alzheimer’s disease and dementia, which affects many families across the state. The legislation now goes to the Senate for its consideration.
Opportunity School District: Legislation proposed by Gov. Deal is being introduced to create an Opportunity School District that will allow the state to temporarily step in to assist chronically failing schools, giving students and parents hope for a better future.
In the governor’s proposal, persistently failing schools are defined as those scoring below 60 on the Georgia Department of Education’s accountability measure, the College and Career Performance Index (CCRPI), for three consecutive years.
The Opportunity School District would take in no more than 20 schools per year, meaning it would govern no more than 100 at any given time. Schools would stay in the district for no less than five years but no more than 10 years.
“I would like nothing more than for the need for the Opportunity School District to decline every year; that would show our reforms are working,” Gov. Deal said. “But everyone – regardless of where they stand on this issue – can agree that today there is a need. Educational opportunity opens the door to the American dream. We can’t guarantee that every child will achieve, but we must do everything in our power to make sure they at least get the chance.”
Creating the Opportunity School District requires a constitutional amendment. Gov. Deal this session will work with legislators to put the amendment on the 2016 ballot and to pass enabling legislation that will govern how the district operates.
The General Assembly is in session this week through Friday, Feb. 20, which is the 19th legislative day. Please feel free to contact me throughout the session with your thoughts on pending issues, or whenever I can be of service. My legislative office is located in 613 Coverdell Legislative Office Building, Atlanta, GA 30334; phone 404-463-3793 or email [email protected]. For more information, visit www.alanpowell.net.