Recidivism remains a significant challenge within the justice system, particularly among youth. Rehabilitation Enables Dreams (RED) adopts innovative and compassionate strategies to address this issue, focusing on education and empowerment. Here’s how we’re making a difference: Transforming Courtrooms into Classrooms At RED, we shift the perspective from punishment to education. Our unique approach involves transforming…
In the United States, the consequences of a criminal conviction extend far beyond the courtroom. For many, a criminal record becomes a lifelong barrier, restricting access to essential opportunities and resources. At Rehabilitation Enables Dreams (RED), we specialize in pre-trial diversion for youth criminal offenders, and we’ve witnessed firsthand the challenges these barriers present. This…
In recent years, the privatization of misdemeanor probation services has emerged as a contentious issue in Georgia. While the intent behind probation is to offer a form of community supervision for individuals who require monitoring, the introduction of for-profit entities into this space has dramatically shifted its landscape. The Rise of For-Profit Probation Companies The…
We’ve all heard about the infamous “Purge Law”, also formally known as the SAFE-T Act, that took headlines by storm in early 2022. Rumors have swirled around ever since and there’s been plenty of debate about whether or not the SAFE-T Act is a good or bad thing, as well as what all it actually…
When writing about how growing up in poverty contributes to the recidivism rate, it’s easy to talk about the statistics. There is a lot to discuss when it comes to how to resolve this issue through the funding and distribution of resources needed to set children in poverty up for success. And citing sources and…
Like many of you, the RED team recently watched the above interview featuring Mr. Rayshard Brooks. The interview was filmed just 4 months before he was shot and killed by Atlanta Police Officer Garrett Rolfe. The video was released by the New York-based REFORM Alliance, a criminal justice organization that is working in Georgia and…
The American Bar Association recently announced that, although the First Step Act has been critical in helping to overhaul our outdated criminal justice system, it hasn’t gone nearly far enough, nor has it yet been implemented completely. The First Step Act was passed by the 115th Congress and signed into law by President Trump December 21, 2018.…
Criminal justice reform requires vigilance. With the First Step Act passing earlier this year, we saw a new era in putting an end to recidivism by ensuring that certain inmates who were given inexcusable mandatory minimum sentences are released so that they can start contributing to their communities and get their lives in order. This…
There is so much out there about creating a positive narrative out of entrepreneurship. We cherish this with the frontier spirit that built the American West. We tell stories about famous ones like Benjamin Franklin, and Elon Musk named his electric car company for the one who inspired him — Nikola Tesla. They are fundamental…
Ultimately, we need to rethink our approach to the entire criminal justice system. It’s a process that’s going to take time. Using spit and duct tape to try and solve these problems will end up creating more problems down the line. As such, we need to take a more long-term view of what will make…