January 2016
Georgia Appleseed Report: Race, Law Enforcement and the Law

After several high profile police shootings or physical restraints resulting in the death of a minority community member, the Mayor of a major city in  Georgia asked Georgia Appleseed to  assist in facilitating meaningful community discussion of these issues.  That was in late 2014.

Georgia Appleseed approached the project
with the belief that all  Georgians should live in communities that are safe and where we engage each other with the highest level of mutual dignity, respect and responsibility without regard to race or ethnicity.

In Spring of 2015, Georgia Appleseed began the process of having in-depth interviews with approximately 140 stakeholders (law enforcement personnel, prosecutors, defense lawyers, neighborhood associations, faith leaders, political leaders, nonprofits, and more) throughout all of Georgia.

The final report includes 11 recommendation points:
  • Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs)
  • Public Access to SOPs
  • Clarifying Use of Force Law
  • Officer Training Curriculum Review and Revision
  • Expanded Collection of Detention Information
  • Reporting Incidents of Concern
  • Department Demographics
  • Disclosure of Incident Information
  • Independent Investigations 
  • Charging Decisions
  • Peace Officer Grand Jury Participation
The report has been published, and next steps include conversation and discussion.


The full report Seeking the Beloved Community: Fostering Crucial Conversations about Race, Law Enforcement and the Law is available here
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Equal Justice in Law Enforcement Symposium

(L-R) Georgia Appleseed's Rob Rhodes, Hon. Christopher J. McFadden, GSU Law Dean Steven Kaminshine, Atlanta Bar Assoc. President Harold Franklin, and GA Appleseed's Teddy Reese

On Thursday, January 14, Georgia Appleseed had the honor of presenting on the report at the Equal Justice in Law Enforcement Symposium, hosted by the Atlanta Bar

Georgia Appleseed's Rob Rhodes and Teddy Reese gave the presentation to over 200 people who attended. It was a strong presentation with great questions asked afterward, proving the need for further discussion on this critical topic.


Welcome!
New to the Georgia Appleseed team

Veronica McClendon, Esq.
Staff Attorney, Georgia Heirs Property Law Center


Alissa Scherb
Development Coordinator


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YPC Volunteer Service 
on MLK Day
On Monday, January 18th  Georgia Appleseed's Young Professional Council hosted a volunteer event at the Lost 'n Found Thrift Store. We organized donations and items available for sale at this shop, which supports a great cause.  The 13- to 25-year-old LGBT population receives meals, temporary housing and access to GED and job preparation services provided by Lost 'n Found Youth.  This critical work reduces the school-to-prison pipeline, which is one of Georgia Appleseed's main focuses as well. Learn more about our efforts here.  
 
Lost 'n Found is Atlanta's only non-profit organization dedicated to taking homeless LGBT youth, and its thrift shop provides major funding for the organization's mission. 

Check out their Facebook page for more info.

Georgia Appleseed Center for Law & Justice | 404-685-6750 | agross@gaappleseed.org | www.GaAppleseed.org
1100 Peachtree Street, Suite 2800
Atlanta, GA 30309