The Atlanta Daily World is keeping a close eye on the 2022 mid-term election cycle in Georgia and nationwide. With all the voter suppression legislation enacted around the country, ADW is talking with all the candidates, even those down-ballot, which we now know are so critical.
To that end, Real Times Media’s Mark Hayes met with B.T. Parker, a candidate for Gwinnett County Superior Court Judge, Division 11. One of the signature items on Parker’s platform is to create a “second-chance court” for non-violent and non-sexual felonies (for example, possessing more than an ounce of marijuana). “I will help create an accountability court that will give offenders a second chance,” explains Parker.
This Second-Chance Court will enable offenders to become productive members of society by assisting them with education, employment, and purpose. Studies have shown that offenders who participate in rehabilitation programs are far less likely to re-offend (recidivism). Additionally, investing in offenders’ rehabilitation, as opposed to putting resources in the prison system, costs far less to taxpayers.
