Prison reform in Georgia

[Cap'n Ken]

Looks like it'll be a topic for the legislature this year.

Some interesting bits I took from that article as it relates to crime around here:

- Make burglaries that involve breaking into an occupied house carry more jail time than those that involve breaking into a tool shed, unoccupied house, etc.

- Raise the threshold for "felony theft" to $1,500 from $500

- Raise the threshold for felony shoplifting to $750 from $300

- The whole "accountability court" concept would be expanded to intercept people with drug, mental health and other problems before sending them away to prison

I'd add hobbling of repeat property crime offenders to the list, as I think while we have to reduce the prison population a rise in property crime rates will occur if we do that. And if property crime rates increase, more people will leave places like East Atlanta. And that will be bad.

It'll be interesting to see what shakes out with this and how our crime profile changes because of it.

[Flower Lady]

The whole "accountability court" concept would be expanded to intercept people with drug, mental health and other problems before sending them away to prison

This is huge, and has been an issue that I have been dealing with for 10 years. There is FREE national training for this, yet so many agencies don't even bother to utilize it (luckily the local police do).

[jake]

Sme of this sounds good, but I want to remind everyone that folks like Cedric Jackson would be considered a "petty thief" and a "non-violent property criminal."  Sure, he only broke into a car to steal a radio...No big deal, right?

But he's done it hundreds of times before, usually immediately upon his release from jail.  Be careful what you wish for.  Less criminals in jail mean more crime on the street.

[James]

I would be ok with the changes in monetary amounts that constitute a felony if there was a trigger after say the third time convicted of theft in any amount that made it a felony to rope in habitual thieves.

[Cap'n Ken]

Sme of this sounds good, but I want to remind everyone that folks like Cedric Jackson would be considered a "petty thief" and a "non-violent property criminal."  Sure, he only broke into a car to steal a radio...No big deal, right?

But he's done it hundreds of times before, usually immediately upon his release from jail.  Be careful what you wish for.  Less criminals in jail mean more crime on the street.

Right. That's what I was getting at with my hobbling comment. "Property crime" might seem like a low priority until nobody wants to live in a neighborhood like ours that sees big spikes in such things depending on who is out of jail at the time.

[The Lord of the Jungle]

Sme of this sounds good, but I want to remind everyone that folks like Cedric Jackson would be considered a "petty thief" and a "non-violent property criminal."  Sure, he only broke into a car to steal a radio...No big deal, right?

But he's done it hundreds of times before, usually immediately upon his release from jail.  Be careful what you wish for.  Less criminals in jail mean more crime on the street.

Right. That's what I was getting at with my hobbling comment. "Property crime" might seem like a low priority until nobody wants to live in a neighborhood like ours that sees big spikes in such things depending on who is out of jail at the time.

That was my question, in a parallel FB thread on this.  Seems really keen (to the Buzz crowd) on its surface, but only because the drug offense stuff is forefronted in the article.  When you start to see implications on the petty theft stuff, I reckon we're more likely to issue a "Heywaitaminit!"  I concur that we should dial it down severely on first timers, but perhaps the money saved in that could be used to better deal with the recidivists.