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Almost all defendants get probation in Georgia. The Peachtree State has the highest misdemeanor and felony probation population in the country. Nationwide, one in fifty people are under community supervision. In Georgia, that ratio is one in twenty-five people. All of these people break at least one rule at least once. That’s especially true since …
Since 2007, the probation population has leveled off slightly in Georgia. More troubling, however, is the rise of punitive surveillance. Essentially, for many probationers, personal information is no longer personal. Instead, the county tracks probationers’ location, biometric, and other meta-data. The law imposes almost no restrictions on this activity. Worse yet, many counties contract these …
Mostly for financial reasons, almost all convicted defendants in Cobb County receive probation. Even violent and/or repeat offenders usually get suspended sentences. The fees and other money that probationers pay do not make the probation department self-sufficient. However, these funds at least offset the enormous expense of operating these agencies. Jails and prisons are simply …
In Georgia and most other jurisdictions, almost all offenders, including most violent, repeat offenders, receive probation. The reason is mostly economic. Georgia spends almost a billion dollars a year maintaining its prisons. The probation (community supervision) system, on the other hand, is at least partially self-sufficient. Supervision fees, court costs, and other probation fees make …
The law just changed on this point, so we have been getting lots of calls about this issue. However, these legal changes don’t benefit all probationers in Cobb County. Many must continue to deal with the old early discharge system. That’s not necessarily a bad thing. Georgia has one of the broadest such laws in …
Incarceration is very expensive. Georgia spends almost $20,000 per year per prison inmate. This number is very high, and it’s one of the lowest ones in the country. Reducing the prison population is a good way to reduce state expenses. But releasing people who plead guilty or are found guilty is clearly not an option. …
