[February 13, 2012] | WEEK 5: Monday, Feb. 6, marked the 15th Legislative Day of the Regular Session of the Georgia General Assembly. Before we went to the Debate Calendar, I had the privilege to take the Speaker?s podium to recognize the 4-H Clubs of Georgia and the 2011-2012 4-H Leadership Team. I had the opportunity to tell the members of the Georgia House of Representatives how the 4-H program benefits the youth of our state.?I told fellow legislators that ?Solid research validates that 4-H youth succeed; they stay in school and excel, and they become contributing citizens and leaders in our State,? adding that there are 172,366 members of Georgia 4-H. The program assists youth in acquiring knowledge, in developing life skills, and in forming attitudes that will enable them to become self-directing, productive, and contributing citizens. It was easy to say that during my 30-plus years as a County Extension agent my most rewarding experiences have come from my involvement with the 4-H program. We then heard from Dowdy White, State 4-H president of Crisp County. I then had the pleasure to recognize each of the 4-H Youth Leadership winners. Following his remarks, they received a standing ovation from the Georgia House of Representatives.
It was very special to recognize Pickens 4-Her Crystal Buckingham as a State Leadership winner. Crystal has dedicated her life to helping others and has had an effective outreach program she sponsors. Crystal shared with me how she has worked to make the lives of abused children better. Our local 4-H group is working with her on this unique project. If you would like to help Crystal with a contribution, please contact the 4-H office at 706/253-8840.
We are in the thick of debating bills and meeting with visitors to the Capitol. Eight groups from Jasper were in the Capitol this week. Firefighters, Police Chiefs, Professional Foresters, Student Nurses, Young Farmers, 4-H Leaders, DNR Rangers, and Pharmacists led by their State President, our own Jack Dunn. It is always good to see folks from home and listen to their concerns under the gold dome.
We took time to hear the Annual State of the Judiciary Address from the Honorable Carol W. Hunstein, Chief Justice of the Supreme Court of Georgia. Chief Justice Hunstein began her address with the Latin words ?Fiat Justicia, Ruat Caelum,? which means: ?Let justice be done, though the heavens may fall.? She said, ?The rule of law is the foundation of our nation, and regardless of anything else, we must protect it.? She added that the duty of ?an independent judiciary ? is to uphold the law regardless of the outcome, regardless of public opinion, regardless of political favor.? She continued by saying, ?You (the General Assembly) write the laws; the governor executes them; and we interpret them. Simple but brilliant.?
She complemented Rep. Jay Neal (District 1) for introducing the legislation that created the Special Council on Criminal Justice Reform. Its mission was to analyze Georgia?s sentencing and corrections system and to make suggestions on its improvement. She said that Georgia can no longer afford ?to maintain the nation?s fourth highest incarceration rate, and the nation?s number one highest rate of people under some kind of correctional restraint ? for those low-risk offenders, the tax payers spent $49 a day to house them in prison, versus $16 a day for community treatment at a Day Reporting Center or $1.50 a day for probation supervision.???
She emphasized, ?Georgia has a rich history of being tough on crime. Our primary goal is the public safety of our citizens, being the first state in the country to pass a ?two strikes, you?re out? law in 1994. We must not only be tough, but we must also be smart on crime as well. ?The Special Council on Criminal Justice Reform found that at least one in four who entered Georgia?s prisons had mental health problems ? jails have become the new asylums, with more mentally ill people locked behind bars than all those being treated in State psychiatric hospitals combined.???Following the example of Texas, the Special Council recommends creating a statewide system of Accountability Courts, which include drug courts, mental health courts, and veterans? courts. ?These accountability courts have a proven track record of holding offenders accountable while reducing their likelihood of reoffending.? It just makes sense that we should treat the disease rather than the symptoms by dealing with the addiction in drug courts and offering treatment for the mentally ill as a prerequisite in sentencing. When an inmate completes his/her sentence, ?Rather than push them out the prison gate with a bus ticket, a travel kit and $25 in cash, the Council recommends that six months before their discharge date, they be released to parole supervision to oversee their transition back into society.??The Council also recommended that minor traffic offenses be treated as violations penalized by a fine rather than treated as misdemeanor crimes. She concluded her remarks by saying ?Justice is not a privilege; it is a right. Criminal cases must be heard; civil disputes must be resolved. Courts are critical to public safety ? Georgia courts and our 1,500 judges are problem solvers.?
These Accountability Courts have been very successful in Pickens County, and this Thursday night Chief Judge Hunstein and Speaker David Ralston will be in town for our Drug Court Graduation at Chattahoochee Technical College.
I am out of space again. Thank you for the honor of choosing me as your Representative in the Georgia House of Representatives, ?The Peoples House.? Please call my office at the State Capitol in Atlanta at 404/656-0188 or at rick@rickjasperse.org.