MACON, Ga. – Local winners of an international media award – including a U.S. District Judge, Assistant Attorney General, and the Executive Director of the Public Defender’s Office in the Middle District of Georgia – received the statuettes at a meeting on October 8th. 26 at the US Court of Justice in Macon.

“Armed with Knowledge” (AWK), a locally produced video project that aims to educate young people about the consequences of illegal gun ownership, was awarded two Telly Awards in 2021. Presented by the Peyton Anderson Foundation in partnership with the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Georgia and the Federal Defenders for the Middle District of Georgia, Inc., AWK received Silver for Social Impact and Bronze for Social Issues. The Telly Awards are a prestigious video and film industry event that recognizes excellence in video and television storytelling. This year the organization received over 12,000 submissions from 50 states and five countries. To learn more about the Telly Awards, please visit tellyawards.com.

“More than 4,800 middle school children in Macon have experienced ‘Armed With Knowledge,’ and we hope this powerful video and supplementary moderator’s guide will be presented to children throughout the Middle District of Georgia and beyond,” said the incumbent US executive. Public Prosecutor Peter D. Leary. “Reducing violent crime cannot be achieved through law enforcement alone. As a community, we must help young people understand the real consequences of choosing a weapon so that we can prevent violence before it occurs. We are grateful for the support this public service project has received from the Bibb County School System and other youth organizations and churches. We hope that more people will come to the table and take advantage of this free program for young people. “

“The Armed with Knowledge message is not only influencing our local youth audiences, but is now being recognized nationwide for its powerful and targeted message,” said Karen Lambert, president of the Peyton Anderson Foundation. “The Foundation is proud to partner with the US Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Georgia, the Federal Defenders for the Middle District of Georgia, Inc., Bibb County Public Schools, and the Macon-Bibb Sheriff’s Office on this compelling social awareness and impact campaign. “

Researched, written and produced locally, AWK addresses the consequences of criminal activities. The video tells the story of Noah, a teenage teenager who is faced with life-changing decisions that result in the illegal possession of a firearm, a federal crime that carries a maximum prison sentence of ten years. Throughout the video, Noah learns harsh truths and irreversible consequences from the personal viewpoints of the offender, the victim’s family, and the federal judicial system.

“Representing the penniless defendants for more than three decades has given me a front row seat to see the devastating consequences young people – especially young black men – suffer from making a small mistake that was like a back then small mistake may seem, “said Federal Defender Tina Hunt, executive director of Federal Defenders of the Middle District of Georgia, Inc.” My hope is that young people who see ‘armed with knowledge’ make the same bold decisions that Noah did and that we can reach even young people who have already made bad decisions before they make more and suffer the lifelong consequences. “

Since the video’s debut in 2020, it has been shown to thousands of Georgia teenagers, including 4,886 middle school students in Bibb County Public Schools. The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Georgia implemented AWK as part of their own youth welfare program, Successful Tips for Youth in Law Enforcement Encounters (STYLE), and the Bibb County Sheriff’s Office has committed to using the program in its own youth work effort to use.

The instructional video and accompanying moderator’s guide – created by the U.S. Attorney’s Office with the assistance of teachers and counselors in Georgia – are suitable for middle school viewers, although educators can also showcase the video to older elementary school children. deemed appropriate.

The video is the brainchild of Peyton Anderson Foundation Trustee Marc Treadwell. Judge Treadwell is a U.S. District Judge who has served in the U.S. District Court for the Middle District of Georgia since 2010. The video was filmed entirely in central Georgia by Big Hair Productions and features local actors as well as Judge Treadwell, Georgia Middle District Assistant Attorney Sonja Profit and Christina “Tina” Hunt, Executive Director of the Middle District of Georgia Federal Defenders, Inc. It also features a powerful scene with Tonora Jones, mother of Ta’Shunti’s “Tootie” Roberts, who was lost at gun violence in Macon in 2015.

“Recognition of these awards goes to Ms. Jones and Tabitha Walker and their production team at Big Hair Productions. Because of them, young people find Noah’s journey so fascinating, ”said US District Judge Marc Treadwell.

To watch the video, access the printable moderator’s guide, and learn more about the program, please visit ArmedWithKnowledge.org

AWK is the product of the joint Safe Neighborhoods (PSN) program of the federal, state and local governments, the core of the Ministry of Justice’s efforts to reduce violent crime. PSN is an evidence-based program that has been shown to be effective in reducing violent crime. Through PSN, a wide range of stakeholders work together to identify the most pressing violent crime problems in the community and develop comprehensive solutions to solve them.