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SMART, FAIR AND
RESTORATIVE JUSTICE
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Victim Empowerment, Offender Accountability, Community Engagement
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INSIDE THIS ISSUE
The Man Behind Restorative Justice
What We Do
What is Restorative Justice
Eye on Community
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FROM THE SOLICITOR-GENERAL
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Working With The Community
For A Safer Community
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I am honored to serve as your Solicitor-General. My commitment in representing the residents of Fulton County is to save lives and protect futures which is why I embrace the principles of Restorative Justice. My passion for this concept has been long standing; it is a concept that brings focus to all parties impacted by crime – the victim, the offender and the community. Incarceration is only one component in public safety; standing alone, it will not end crime in Fulton County. For our communities to be safe, victims must be made whole, offenders must be held accountable and the community must take an active role in crime prevention.
We take the public trust vested in this office seriously and pledge to carry out our mandates with high ethical standards, professionalism and integrity.
Thank you for the opportunity to serve. We will continue to build community relationships and provide excellent service as stewards of your trust.
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The Man Behind the "Restorative Justice Movement"
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Prior to becoming Solicitor-General of Fulton County, Keith Gammage served as Chief Assistant Solicitor-General in a neighboring Metro-Atlanta County where he led the prosecution of more than fifty thousand traffic and misdemeanor cases a year. He earned the reputation of being a fierce, fair prosecutor and community advocate. Under his leadership, justice had more faces than arrest and jail so he found alternative solutions to incarceration such as using creative diversion efforts to mandate education and job skills for ex-offenders. He has been recognized for his work in reducing the "School to Prison Pipeline” and is a trailblazer in working to reduce domestic violence, elder abuse and high school dropout rates.
Gammage began his career in Fulton County defending the constitutional rights of indigent citizens charged with felonies, including sexual exploitation of children, human trafficking, drug trafficking, firearms violations and death penalty crimes.
Having served as both defense attorney and prosecutor, Gammage returns to Fulton County with a peerless perspective on criminal justice reform - Smart, Fair and Restorative Justice.
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DID YOU KNOW
t
he Solicitor-General’s Office prosecutes traffic and DUI cases? It’s true. In addition to DUI and traffic cases, our office prosecutes misdemeanor crimes including simple battery, domestic violence, cruelty to children and elder abuse. We also have an environmental prosecution team that prosecutes animal cruelty crimes.
Misdemeanor cases are resolved by plea, trial or diversion.
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LEGAL Corner
What is Restorative Justice and Why It Matters
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What is Restorative Justice and its impact on the criminal justice system? The concept embraces three principles: Victim Empowerment, Offender Accountability and Community Engagement.
FOR VICTIMS, information is empowerment. We provide information about victim rights, update them about their cases, notify them of hearings, provide resources and are there for support. Also empowering is the victims’ right to confront offenders in court. Impact statements give victims a voice by allowing them to tell offenders how they and their families were affected by crime. Putting a face on crime humanizes victims and gives offenders the opportunity for remorse, a critical step in the healing process. For more information on victims' rights, please visit our website at www.fultoncountyga.gov/sg-home
OFFENDER ACCOUNTABILITY means incarceration for violent and repeat offenders. Being prepared to reenter the communities they've harmed is an extension of accountability. Reentry initiatives offer education and job skills that prepare ex-offenders for reintegration back into the community. This gives the offender a second chance for success and a successful transition reduces future crime. For non-violent offenders, accountability means restitution, community service and diversion programs designed to address the root causes of crime.
THE COMMUNITY. Returning offenders to their communities to perform community service benefits the community and goes the distance in repairing the ravages of crime. Crime prevention programs in our communities play a significant role as well and is the pre-emptive strike against crime.
Why does restorative justice prosecution matter?
Because public safety is not one-dimensional beginning and ending with incarceration. A holistic approach that serves the needs of all stakeholders in the criminal justice process heals and repairs our communities and in turn, makes our communities safer.
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YOUTH-CRIME PREVENTION
Speaking to students at the December Jack and Jill Forum, Gammage took center stage in giving students helpful guidelines about staying out of the criminal justice system, and stressed the importance of making good life choices. “Don't let one mistake derail a promising future.”
Keith E. Gammage, December 2016
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SERVING SENIORS
Gammage was the keynote speaker for the East Point Chapter of AARP’s Ninth Founder’s Day Celebration. Speaking to a full audience of seniors, Gammage spoke about elder abuse and how Senior Citizens can become involved in the criminal justice process. “I encourage Senior Citizens to be the eyes and ears of our community.”
Keith E. Gammage,
October 2016.
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"I've decided to stick with love, Hate is too great a burden to bear."
Martin Luther King, Jr.
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BUILDING OUR COMMUNITIES
The Solicitor-General's Office celebrated Martin Luther King Day at Hands On Atlanta at the Rights 2 Life Foundation Inc. at John H. Harland Boys & Girls Club. We rolled up our sleeves and got busy removing old vegetation and overgrowth, cleaning and painting garden boxes and planting seeds for an organic garden.
J
anuary 2017
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EMPOWERING VICTIMS OF DOMESTIC VIOLENCE
After our hard work at the Boys & Girls Club, we joined our community partner, Partnership Against Domestic Violence to organize donations. We built a playhouse donated by the Solicitor-General's Office and took on an arts and crafts project that ignited our artistic talents!
January 2017
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Many thanks to all the volunteers who painted, planted and built for the betterment of our community!
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January is Human Trafficking Awareness Month
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STOPPING YOUTH EXPLOITATION. Solicitor-General Gammage addressed teens at the 2017 MLK Youth Conference on the connection between Prostitution and Human Trafficking. Senate Bill 8, known as Rachel's Law/Safe Harbor Act, establishes a Sexually Exploited Children Fund Commission using fines from convicted traffickers. The Bill also requires the development of a statewide plan for the coordinated delivery of services to sexually exploited and trafficked children.
Metro-Atlanta is among the top cities in the nation for child sex trafficking. $300 million dollars a year is generated from the industry. The average age of the child victim is twelve. Make the Call. Save Lives. 1-888-373-7888 (National Human Trafficking Hotline)
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For speaking engagements and media inquiries, contact Kenya Johnson at kenya.johnson@fultoncountyga.gov
The GAMMAGE REPORT is Published by:
The Office of the Solicitor-General
Fulton County Courthouse
160 Pryor Street
Atlanta, GA 30303
Mainline: 404-612-4800
Editor
Lyn K. Armstrong
TheGAMMAGEREPORT@gmail.com
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The GAMMAGE REPORT | Office of the Solicitor-General | 404.612.4800
EMAIL: TheGAMMAGEREPORT@gmail.com
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