Atlanta – Right on Crime, a nationwide criminal justice reform initiative, today launched a state-based effort in Georgia to educate policy-makers about the commonsense corrections system reforms that have safely contained prison costs in states like Texas. The announcement comes in advance of Georgia’s Criminal Justice Reform Council releasing its recommendations for the Legislature in November 2011.
“Today, almost a half million people are under correctional control in Georgia, costing the state more than $1 billion annually,” said Kelly McCutchen, president and CEO of the Georgia Public Policy Foundation and a Right on Crime signatory. “The Criminal Justice Reform Council and the Georgia State legislature will need to take bold steps to transform our expensive corrections system. Right on Crime’s principles, conservative leadership, and experience working with ‘tough on crime’ policy-makers like the Texas Legislature can help guide Georgia towards a more effective criminal justice system.”
Right on Crime aims to provide Peach State policy-makers with the information and tools necessary to reform the state’s costly criminal justice system. The organization’s policy advisors were instrumental in creating and implementing new policies in Texas that revamped the state’s broken “lock ‘em up and throw away the key” system, reduced the crime rate by over 10 percent and saved taxpayers more than $2 billion. Right on Crime’s principles have been endorsed by Jeb Bush, Newt Gingrich, Ed Meese and Bill Bennett, among others.
“We must make a thoughtful distinction between violent and nonviolent offenders,” said David Keene, former chairman of the American Conservative Union and Right on Crime signatory. “Right on Crime’s work has transformed broken criminal justice systems, and its commonsense principles played a major role in reducing Texas’ crime rate to its lowest point since 1973. I urge the Criminal Justice Reform Council to use Right on Crime’s principles and experience as a model for their upcoming legislative recommendations.”
About Right on Crime: Right on Crime provides conservative principled solutions that are proven to reduce crime, lower costs and restore victims. Right on Crime is a national initiative led by the Center for Effective Justice at the Texas Public Policy Foundation, one of the nation’s leading state-based conservative think tanks. The initiative aims to raise awareness and grow support for effective criminal justice reforms within the conservative movement. This project will share research and policy ideas, mobilize conservative leaders, and work to raise public awareness. For more information, please visit www.rightoncrime.com.
About the Georgia Public Policy Foundation: The Foundation, which celebrates its 20th anniversary in 2011, is an independent, state-based think tank that proposes practical, market-oriented approaches to public policy to improve the lives of Georgians. The Foundation’s regular events include Leadership Breakfasts and Policy Briefing Luncheons. Weekly publications are the Friday Facts and Friday Idea commentaries. Visit www.georgiapolicy.org to read about innovative solutions to the state’s challenges or to watch streaming online video of Foundation events. Join the Foundation’s Facebook Fan Page, follow us on Twitter at www.twitter.com/gppf or join the discussion on the Foundation’s blog, The Forum, at http://forum.georgiapolicy.org/.
Atlanta – Right on Crime, a nationwide criminal justice reform initiative, today launched a state-based effort in Georgia to educate policy-makers about the commonsense corrections system reforms that have safely contained prison costs in states like Texas. The announcement comes in advance of Georgia’s Criminal Justice Reform Council releasing its recommendations for the Legislature in November 2011.
“Today, almost a half million people are under correctional control in Georgia, costing the state more than $1 billion annually,” said Kelly McCutchen, president and CEO of the Georgia Public Policy Foundation and a Right on Crime signatory. “The Criminal Justice Reform Council and the Georgia State legislature will need to take bold steps to transform our expensive corrections system. Right on Crime’s principles, conservative leadership, and experience working with ‘tough on crime’ policy-makers like the Texas Legislature can help guide Georgia towards a more effective criminal justice system.”
Right on Crime aims to provide Peach State policy-makers with the information and tools necessary to reform the state’s costly criminal justice system. The organization’s policy advisors were instrumental in creating and implementing new policies in Texas that revamped the state’s broken “lock ‘em up and throw away the key” system, reduced the crime rate by over 10 percent and saved taxpayers more than $2 billion. Right on Crime’s principles have been endorsed by Jeb Bush, Newt Gingrich, Ed Meese and Bill Bennett, among others.
“We must make a thoughtful distinction between violent and nonviolent offenders,” said David Keene, former chairman of the American Conservative Union and Right on Crime signatory. “Right on Crime’s work has transformed broken criminal justice systems, and its commonsense principles played a major role in reducing Texas’ crime rate to its lowest point since 1973. I urge the Criminal Justice Reform Council to use Right on Crime’s principles and experience as a model for their upcoming legislative recommendations.”
About Right on Crime: Right on Crime provides conservative principled solutions that are proven to reduce crime, lower costs and restore victims. Right on Crime is a national initiative led by the Center for Effective Justice at the Texas Public Policy Foundation, one of the nation’s leading state-based conservative think tanks. The initiative aims to raise awareness and grow support for effective criminal justice reforms within the conservative movement. This project will share research and policy ideas, mobilize conservative leaders, and work to raise public awareness. For more information, please visit www.rightoncrime.com.
About the Georgia Public Policy Foundation: The Foundation, which celebrates its 20th anniversary in 2011, is an independent, state-based think tank that proposes practical, market-oriented approaches to public policy to improve the lives of Georgians. The Foundation’s regular events include Leadership Breakfasts and Policy Briefing Luncheons. Weekly publications are the Friday Facts and Friday Idea commentaries. Visit www.georgiapolicy.org to read about innovative solutions to the state’s challenges or to watch streaming online video of Foundation events. Join the Foundation’s Facebook Fan Page, follow us on Twitter at www.twitter.com/gppf or join the discussion on the Foundation’s blog, The Forum, at http://forum.georgiapolicy.org/.
