According to a study by the Urban Institute, the measure could have translated into roughly one-third of the men and women on felony probation being offered sentences with the opportunity for time off their probation after three years at most, providing they stayed out of trouble.
Georgia cuts loose more people from probation after a fitful start For three years, Jamariel Hobbs was confined to Georgia, unable to travel freely or move where he wanted to.
The practice of long sentences persisted for years despite research suggesting that the likelihood of people reoffending drops after three years on probation.
“You’re talking about folks who have often been through a lot of trauma and feel like they are constantly walking around with a weight on their shoulders, a cloud over their head, where the smallest little thing could completely derail all the work they’ve put in,” said Wade Askew of the Georgia Justice Project.
People on probation also have to pay fees to help offset the cost of monitoring them, a particular burden for low-income people.
