SB 105- An innovative probation reform bill.

The Probation Symposium will hold at The Community Achievement Center, 4522 Flat Shoals Rd., Decatur, 30034

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SB 105 was signed into law with the goal of reducing the number of Georgians serving lengthy probation sentences championed by the Georgia Justice Project (GJP) and will allow individuals access to early termination of felony probation after three years if they reach their milestones.

191,000 individuals are serving felony probation sentences in Georgia, more than any other state in the nation. Georgia’s probation system has stark racial inequities – in every county, Black Georgians are at least twice as likely as White Georgians to be serving a probation sentence, and in some counties eight times more likely.

SB 105 reduces the number of individuals serving lengthy probation sentences by creating a pathway for early termination that individuals can access after serving 3 years of probation if:

• All restitution is paid
• No revocations in the last 24 months
• No new arrests

As of the signing of SB 105, up to 25% of all felony probationers qualify for early termination immediately, and more individuals will qualify faster going forward. The new law also provides a clear set of criteria for early termination for prosecutors, judges, and probation officers. SB 105 provides incentives and hope for individuals serving a long sentence and saves Georgia $34 million a year spent supervising individuals who qualify for early termination.

Up to 25% of all felony probationers qualify for early termination immediately. SB 105 provides hope for individuals serving a long sentence and saves Georgia $34 million a year spent supervising individuals who qualify for early termination.

Georgia Justice Project has served Georgians impacted by the criminal justice system for over 35 years and was key in the passing of this legislation. GJP’s work touches every aspect of the criminal justice continuum with two goals: reduce the number of Georgians under correctional control (that is, people in jail/prison or on probation/parole) and reduce reentry barriers for justice-involved Georgians. GJP’s three-pronged approach includes direct service, policy work, and community engagement. The organization has helped pass 21 Georgia laws creating pathways for second chances for Georgians, including last year’s record restriction law making certain misdemeanor and pardoned felony convictions eligible for restriction, commonly known as “expungement,” for the first time in Georgia. Georgia Justice Project represents individuals that are seeking early termination of their probation sentence and began focusing on probation reform in 2019 after many years of seeing firsthand the negative effect of Georgia’s lengthy probation sentences on individuals, communities, and Georgia’s economy.