State Representative Donna McLeod (D-Lawrenceville) recently introduced House Bill 728 to end the use of private Georgia prisons.
“Tax dollars shouldn’t be used to fund private prisons,” said Rep. McLeod. “Our schools are still not fully funded and we need to make sure we find ways to stop the school-to-prison pipeline. If our children don’t read and write by third grade, they are more likely to become unpredictable. Instead, we can use these government funds for educational purposes that prevent Georgia children from going to jail in the first place. “
House Bill 728 would prohibit private companies from operating detention facilities in the state. According to HB 728, only government agencies and departments would be authorized to operate prisons, prisons, immigration detention centers, parole centers, long-term and short-term juvenile detention centers, boot camps and probation centers. This bill would not apply to federal prisons in Georgia. If this bill were passed by the Georgia General Assembly, the state would still have the right to enter into all contracts with these private entities that began prior to the bill’s entry into force.
For more information on HB 728, see below or click Here.
First reader summary for HB728: A bill that has a bill to amend Title 42 of the Official Annotated Code of Georgia relating to penal institutions to prevent a private company from operating a penal institution; Provide definitions; To provide federal institutions; to fulfill existing contractual obligations; to take care of related matters; repeal conflicting laws; and for other purposes.
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Representative Donna McLeod represents the citizens of District 105, which also includes parts of Gwinnett County. She was elected to the House of Representatives in 2018 and is currently a member of the Code Revision, Human Relations & Aging, Intergovernmental Cooperation, and Science and Technology Committees.
