Georgia has, by far, the most expansive supervision system in the country. The system is notorious for long probation sentences, for an almost unique system of for-profit supervision, and for piling exorbitant fees on top of probationers. Simple, commonsense improvements can help us fix this system and end the “probation to prison” pipeline.
Georgia’s supercharged probation-to-prison pipeline stems from lengthy probation sentences and the use of split sentences (requiring individuals to serve a period of time in prison, potentially followed by parole then followed by probation). These lengthy sentences set individuals up to fail, as individuals are reincarcerated for simple technical violations (breaking rules such as missing a curfew or failing a drug test – but not breaking a law).
