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Smart Justice Roundtable at Athens Library

Athens Regional Library

A trio of Local and state organizations meeting in Athens this week to tackle mass incarceration. The Athens Anti-Discrimination Movement, Economic Justice Coalition, and the American Civil Liberties Union of Georgia are taking part in the Smart Justice Roundtable this Thursday at the Athens Library.

The Athens Anti-Discrimination Movement is inviting members of the community to a roundtable discussion Thursday.

AADM Cofounder and President Mokah Jasmine Johnson says they’ll discuss efforts to reduce the jail and prison population by 50%, combat the racial disparities in the criminal justice system, and bail reform for some offenses. 

“Lesser crimes like misdemeanors, traffic violations, different things like that,” according to Johnson. “We also want to have a discussion about the culture of policing and how we can work together as a community to improve that. I know that Deborah Gonzalez and Chief Freeman will be attending that event.”

Johnson says although Gov. Nathan Deal signed recently signed Senate Bill 407 into law as part of reform of the state’s criminal justice system, more needs to be done. That bill would allow judges to convert fees or fines into community service for misdemeanor offenses.

The Smart Justice Roundtable is Thursday at the Athens Library beginning at 5:30 pm.

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