Fairness for Prisoners' Families
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Fairness for Prisoners' Families
Problems plague criminal justice system
About 100 address concerns to state officials at public hearing
Mark Cook holds a marketing degree and used to make $80,000 a year in the advertising field until cocaine sidetracked his life.
During a public meeting, Evonia Baker makes a point and asks a question about ex-offenders being able to find jobs after being released from prison. Bob Morris/Savannah Morning News Cynthia Coleman has completed training in the certified customer service specialist program at Savannah Technical College but has never had any employment beyond a customer service position. With three children, she worked hard to support her family on near-minimum wage pay until methadone brought her down.
Despite their distinct backgrounds and incomes, Cook and Coleman have a bond beyond drug addiction. Each is a former Georgia prisoner and each is having difficulty obtaining a job after being released. Each is also barred by Georgia state law from receiving basic federal benefits such as food stamps or housing assistance because of a felony conviction.
"I'm closed out of 85 percent of the job market," Cook said, calling on the state's largest employer — state government — to remove a ban on hiring felons. "I'd like the state to step forward and set an example. If they won't do it, why would private enterprise? Basically it's a life sentence being an ex-felon."
Georgia State Senator Regina Thomas moderates a public meeting about the criminal justice system in Georgia. Bob Morris/Savannah Morning News Cook and Coleman's employment concerns were just one of many aired at a Friday evening public hearing on problems with the criminal justice system. Nearly 100 other Savannah area residents attended the hearing at the St. Pius X Family Resource Center to voice their complaints about the lack of sentencing options provided to judges, mandatory imprisonments due to the state's two strikes law, few training or rehabilitative opportunities, and poor defense counsel provided to accused criminals.
Savannah Democratic Sen. Regina Thomas, chair of the state Senate Committee on Corrections, called the meeting to bring together those with problems and state officials. Thomas said she was hoping to gather opinions and ideas about possible legislation she can look at to improve the standards of the justice system.
"Together we can come up with some real simple solutions to problems felt by many," Thomas said, adding a goal of hers is to improve the transition from incarceration to life on the outside. "When people come out of the system, if we don't help them, they'll go right back.
During a public meeting, Joe McAdoo, from the Board of Pardons and Paroles, answers a question about the criminal justice system. Bob Morris/Savannah Morning News "It's more expensive to incarcerate than to rehabilitate."
Brian Owens, executive assistant to Corrections chief James Donald, said Georgia leads the nation with one in every 15 adults under some sort of supervision, be it prison, parole or probation. Owens said current trends show more than 11,000 more inmates will be added in the next five years to a system that already is overcrowded while holding 47,000 people.
"I agree we don't do enough," he said. "We can not afford the road we're on, folks."
Owens said he expects Donald, who was recently appointed by Gov. Sonny Perdue, to affect change to the system despite budget constraints. He said Donald is likely to put more money into community programs than building and housing more prisoners.
Owens, however, said the burden isn't solely the back of the Corrections department or other state entities. He said individuals and community programs need to step up and help as well.
"I'd contend we're all in this together and we need effort from both sides," he said.
Concerned citizens listen to speakers during a meeting about the criminal justice system. Bob Morris/Savannah Morning News Meanwhile, before improvements to the entire system can be made, Coleman said she doesn't expect someone to find her a job. She's seeking work, is being truthful about her conviction and is turned away despite solid interviews. She's been told the job denials are strictly because of her conviction for forging a prescription form.
"We don't want a handout, but we need help," she said. "We want to be able to move on and leave our past in the past and to be able to have a future."
