Please describe how your agency is structured:

Created by the Georgia General Assembly in 1981 as an Executive Branch agency, the Criminal Justice Coordinating Council (CJCC) represents the culmination of many efforts to establish a statewide body that would build consensus and unity among the State's diverse and interdependent, criminal justice system components. CJCC is legislatively charged with twelve areas of criminal justice coordination. Among those responsibilities is to serve as the statewide clearinghouse for criminal justice information and research; develop criminal justice legislative and executive policy proposals; and serve in an advisory capacity to the Governor on issues impacting the criminal justice system.

In addition to serving as the epicenter of criminal justice policies, research, and information for Georgia, CJCC has been designated as the State Administrative Agency for numerous federal formula and competitive grant programs. One of the CJCC’s core functions, grant management and administration, plays an integral role in both innovating criminal justice and empowering victims by administering competitive, formula, and state-funded criminal justice and victim service grants in the state of Georgia. Additionally, as CJCC administers programs providing direct services to victims of crime, it is a natural fit that it also administers the Georgia Crime Victims Compensation Program (CVCP). Established by the State Legislature in 1988, the CVCP offers financial support to innocent victims of violent crimes and encourages greater victim participation in the criminal justice process. Crimes covered under the CVCP, among others, include homicide, sexual assault, commercial sexual exploitation of minors, domestic violence, assault/battery, vehicular homicide and DUI/DWI.CJCC envisions a Georgia where criminal justice and victim service programs are just, accessible, and compassionate, and the agency’s mission is Innovating Criminal Justice, Empowering Victims. 

Please list the federal and state grants your agency administers:

In FY23, the GA CJCC administered 36 state and federal grants, awarding over $193 million to support 1,299 grant projects across the state.

Federal Grants

• Adult Treatment Court Discretionary Grant Program

• American Rescue Plan Act

• Bulletproof Vest Partnership

• Byrne Discretionary Community Project Funding/Byrne Discretionary Grants Program – Domestic Violence

• Capital Case Litigation Initiative

• Comprehensive Opioid, Stimulant, and Substance Use Program

• Edward Byrne Memorial Justice Assistance Grant Program

• Edward Byrne State Crisis Intervention Program

• Family Treatment Court Grant Program

• Family Violence Prevention and Services Act

• Family Violence Prevention and Services Act Domestic Violence ARP

• Family Violence Prevention and Services Act COVID

• Family Violence Prevention and Services Act Sexual Assault ARP

• Family Violence Prevention and Services Act – Hurricane Supplemental

• Delinquency Prevention Grant Program

• OVC Discretionary Victim Liaison Grant Program

• OVW Discretionary Elder Abuse Grant Program

• Paul Coverdell Forensic Science Improvement

• Preventive Health and Health Service Block Grant

• Project Safe Neighborhoods

• Residential Substance Abuse Treatment Program

• Sexual Assault Services Program

• STOP Violence Against Women Formula Grant Program

• BJA STOP School Violence Grant

• Temporary Assistance for Needy Families – CSEC Grant Program

• Title II Formula Grant

• Victims of Crime Act Victim Compensation Program

• Victims of Crime Act Victim’s Assistance Grant Program

State Grants

• Domestic Violence Grant Program

• State Sexual Assault Services Grant Program

• State Accountability Court Grant Program

• Local Law Enforcement Training Grant Program

• First Responders State Microgrant Program

• Juvenile Justice Incentive Grant

• Safe Harbor for Sexually Exploited Children Grant Program

Please list your top three current priority or focus areas:

Law Enforcement and Violent Crime Reduction

Georgia’s total, calculated violent crime rate, as defined by the FBI’s UCR Program, has typically trended below that of the national rate. However, like the nation’s, Georgia’s crime rate began to increase in 2019, cooccurring with the onset of the COVID-19 Pandemic. A continued prioritization of support for law enforcement is critical to the state’s violent crime reduction efforts. CJCC aims to have better-supported programs and initiatives that work to 1) improve violence intervention and hold offenders accountable, and 2) increase community confidence in Georgia’s criminal justice system. The continued prioritization of multi-jurisdictional drug task force agencies will continue to help counter drug-related crime across the state. Additionally, CJCC’s Statistical Analysis Center (SAC) will continue to collect data and verify and report deaths under the Deaths in Custody Reporting Act. Collaborative partners include the Georgia Bureau of Investigation, Georgia Department of Corrections, Georgia Department of Juvenile Justice, Georgia Department of Public Health, and five metro medical examiner's offices. Georgia’s implementation plan has been finalized and can be accessed via the Office of Justice Program’s website. Finally, Georgia will continue to hold offenders accountable through the important work of the Sexual Offender Registration Review Board. Comprised of 15 governor-appointed, voluntary professionals from across the state and paid agency staff, SORRB details registration requirements and the classification process for individuals convicted of a Sexually Dangerous Offense.

CJCC also aims to provide state and local agencies with additional resources to meet the needs of criminal justice system personnel and to assist with the acquisition and retention of qualified officers by identifying potential gaps in the provision of needs for public safety personnel. Gaps may include, but are not limited to, officer wellness initiatives (to include mental health services), compensation and benefit increases, and additional training. When available and appropriate, CJCC works to identify and secure funding to support these initiatives and create a subgrant implementation plan for the provision and oversight of funds. Additionally, CJCC continues to provide much-needed training resources to officers through the Georgia Public Safety Training Center, who, in turn, collaborates with subject matter experts to analyze and develop curricula to address ongoing officer training needs.

Behavioral Health and Justice Intervention

Mental Health America recently conducted a study that ranked states according to the level of access to mental health care. In 2023, Georgia was among the last ranked states when it came to the availability of such care. The measures for this ranking included individual access to insurance, treatment, or special education; the quality and cost of insurance; and workforce availability. To help improve this access to care, CJCC is taking steps to invest in the priority areas of behavioral health deflection and court-based programs, and specifically, will prioritize specialty programs that deflect, divert, or educate individuals who are at risk to themselves or others from the criminal justice system. In coordination with state and local partners, CJCC plans to expand successful existing forensic peer models throughout the state and help connect individuals in need with much-needed services. A strong emphasis will also be placed on education and outreach efforts to at-risk youth as well. Programs may focus on the development of nonviolent, conflict resolution skills, active listening, and ways to help heal from trauma. Providing mental health and/or substance abuse services to those in need works towards decreasing the criminalization of such individuals and providing much-needed access to services.

Sexual Assault, Domestic Violence, and Human Trafficking

Sexual assault and domestic violence work is a major focus area for the Georgia CJCC. Since its inception in 2014, the State Expert Committee (SEC) has provided oversight and guidance to the Sexual Assault Response Team (SART) Project and now includes 50 members, including representatives from the criminal justice system, victim service providers, prosecutors, law enforcement, and legislators. Under this collaborative initiative, CJCC plans to expand the SART Project to create the Implementing Model Protocols to Advance Coordinated Training and Response (IMPACT) Initiative. The IMPACT Initiative will subdivide the SEC into three expert work groups to develop policy, protocol, and training regarding sexual assault, domestic violence, and family justice centers. The ultimate goals of the IMPACT Initiative are to promote a comprehensive, coordinated, unified community response to domestic violence, dating violence, and sexual assault in all Georgia communities to ensure victim safety and offender accountability and to provide comprehensive training opportunities to community partners. CJCC looks forward to continuing this work and has applied for the Office on Violence Against Women’s Improving Criminal Justice Response Program to support the expansion.

Anti-human trafficking efforts form another priority area for Georgia. The importance of having a statewide response focused on eradicating human trafficking in Georgia is of the utmost priority of the Governor’s Office as well as the Georgia Criminal Justice Coordinating Council. As a result of that prioritization, the CJCC is currently carrying forward the dedicated response to addressing the need for a unified strategy that works to combat exploitation by functioning as the backbone support and coordinating agency for the Georgia Coalition to Combat Human Trafficking (Coalition). This Coalition is an initiative comprehensively addressing all forms of human trafficking in Georgia and is comprised of federal, state, and local law enforcement, prosecutors, and victim services providers. The goal of the Coalition is to promote consistent, victim-centered, and trauma-informed investigations while supporting the needs of identified victims of all forms of human trafficking.

The GBI’s Human Exploitation and Trafficking (H.E.A.T) Unit works collaboratively with CJCC’s Statistical Analysis Center (SAC) to foster proactive and data-driven investigations. Since its inception in 2020, the H.E.A.T. Unit has been inundated with tips from the GBI’s tip line and the Coalition’s State Human Trafficking Hotline (866- ENDHTGA). Additionally, the Human Trafficking Data Clearinghouse was created for the Coalition by the SAC to help promote a shared understanding of human trafficking in Georgia by providing easy access to relevant data, analysis, and performance measures.

In 2021, the Howard G. Buffett Foundation (HGBF) awarded grant funds to enhance the work of both the Coalition and H.E.A.T. Unit, with a focus on agricultural labor trafficking. The HGBF Agricultural Labor Trafficking Task Force is fully staffed and achieving its intended goals and outcomes. However, much work remains, and additional resources are needed to continue the work and include resources for other forms of labor trafficking. CJCC looks forward to continuing these partnerships and the important work of combating all forms of human trafficking in Georgia.

What is the main thing you would like other NCJA members to know about your agency?

While there are numerous projects and initiatives our agency is honored to be a part of, one recent success is that of the Statewide Automated Victim Notification System. In a partnership with the Governor’s Office and the Criminal Case Data Exchange Board (CDX), CJCC recently announced the launch of the statewide automated victim notification system (VINE Appriss), a cutting-edge platform designed to revolutionize jail notifications and empower victims statewide. VINE Appriss utilizes advanced technology to provide timely and accurate information to victims, ensuring they are informed about the custody status of offenders. This innovative system enhances public safety by fostering transparency, communication, and support for crime victims. Key features of VINE Appriss include real-time notifications for instant updates on offender status changes; accessibility via phone, online, or mobile app; a user-friendly interface; and multilingual support. The full press release can be accessed here. CJCC and stakeholders sought a solution that integrates with jurisdictions' current systems to leverage existing resources and promote a successful implementation experience. CJCC worked with many stakeholders to procure a system. Vine Appriss marks a significant milestone in the agency’s ongoing commitment to public safety and victim support.