Criminal Justice Reform: Justice Through Opportunity

Our System is Broken—We Must Fix It

The criminal justice system in Georgia’s 5th District disproportionately harms Black, brown, and low-income communities. It over-polices neighborhoods, locks people away for non-violent offenses, and fails to address the root causes of crime. Instead of rehabilitation and prevention, our system fuels cycles of poverty and incarceration.

We must end mass incarceration, transform policing, and invest in opportunity-driven solutions that build safer, more just communities.

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The Reality: Why Reform is Urgent

• 🚨 Georgia’s Incarceration Crisis: Georgia imprisons more people per capita than any other democratic nation.
• ⚖️ Racial Disparities: Black residents are incarcerated at nearly five times the rate of white residents.
• 💰 Cash Bail Punishes Poverty: Low-income individuals remain in jail for minor offenses simply because they can’t afford bail.
• 🏥 Mental Health Criminalization: Too many people are jailed instead of getting the mental health and addiction treatment they need.
• 🔄 Recidivism Cycle: Without rehabilitation, housing, and job opportunities, people leaving prison are set up to fail.

This does not make our communities safer—it makes them more unstable.

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A New Vision for Criminal Justice

🛑 1. End Mass Incarceration

• Decriminalize non-violent offenses and expunge past records.
• Abolish cash bail and replace it with risk-based systems that don’t punish poverty.
• Reform sentencing laws to eliminate mandatory minimums and reduce excessive punishments.

🤝 2. Transform Policing Practices

• Community-led policing that builds trust and reduces harm.
• End racial profiling and discriminatory stop-and-frisk policies.
• Increase police accountability with independent oversight and mandatory body cameras.

🛠️ 3. Invest in Alternatives to Incarceration

• Expand restorative justice programs to focus on rehabilitation, not punishment.
• Fund mental health and addiction treatment as alternatives to jail.
• Create youth diversion programs that offer education, mentorship, and job training instead of incarceration.

🌟 4. Support Reentry and Rehabilitation

• Ban discrimination against formerly incarcerated individuals in jobs and housing.
• Fund job training, education, and housing assistance for returning citizens.
• Expand mental health care and counseling to prevent recidivism.

🛡️ 5. Address Community Safety Holistically

• Invest in education, job creation, and housing stability to prevent crime at its roots.
• Strengthen protections for victims of crime through legal aid and trauma-informed care.
• Promote gun safety laws like universal background checks to keep communities safe.

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How We Deliver Justice Through Reform

✅ 1. Decriminalize and Reform Sentencing

• End harsh penalties for non-violent drug offenses and expunge past convictions.
• Eliminate cash bail for non-violent offenders.

✅ 2. Expand Mental Health and Addiction Services

• Divert individuals in crisis to treatment, not prison.
• Increase funding for community-based mental health and rehabilitation centers.

✅ 3. Overhaul Policing and Accountability

• Mandatory body cameras and independent civilian review boards for police misconduct.
• Ban racial profiling and end discriminatory stop-and-frisk policies.

✅ 4. Invest in Opportunity, Not Incarceration

• Fund job training, education, and housing programs for returning citizens.
• Expand violence prevention and community-based safety programs.

✅ 5. Prevent Crime by Addressing Root Causes

• Increase funding for youth mentorship, after-school programs, and job training.
• Provide mental health, addiction recovery, and housing stability programs.

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What This Means for Georgia’s 5th District

⚖️ Fair and Equitable Justice

• No one should be jailed for being poor, Black, or struggling with addiction.

💰 Investing in People, Not Prisons

• Redirect taxpayer money from mass incarceration to education, job training, and mental health care.

🚔 Trust-Based Public Safety

• Community-led policing makes neighborhoods safer without excessive force or over-policing.

🔄 Breaking the Cycle

• Job training and housing assistance ensure people leaving prison have a real second chance.

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A Justice System That Works for the People

We cannot police our way to safety. True public safety comes from investing in people, addressing systemic inequities, and creating opportunities for all.

By ending mass incarceration, reforming policing, and funding prevention, we will build a fairer, safer criminal justice system in Georgia’s 5th District—one that values rehabilitation over punishment, and justice over retribution.

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Join Us in the Fight for Justice

Stand with us to create a system that uplifts people instead of locking them away. Together, we can end mass incarceration and build a future based on opportunity, fairness, and dignity.