Well, good morning.

First of all, I'd like to thank everyone for joining us here.

Um for this very important announcement today.

We are here today because public safety remains our top priority in making Bib County.

This includes promoting public safety at the Bibb County Law Enforcement Center.

Today we are announcing significant new and expanding initiatives to make that facility and our community whole and safer.

The initiatives that we will discuss today are the result of months of planning, research, conversations, and collaborations.

We have several important partners that we have here today, and we will introduce those as we get to them in the program.

But I want to thank each and every one of them for taking my calls for taking time to meet with me to have open candid conversations, some that got a little testy, some that got a little emotional, but all for the good of making Bibb County.

I know these requests often came on the weekend, sometimes in the evening, late at night, but not a single person ever complained about the work.

Thank you for your commitment to this process.

As we will discuss a little bit later on, each of you will be an integral part of the success, the transformative work we're about to intake together.

Today does mark an important major milestone in our long-term plan to make our community safer, smarter, and more just for everyone.

Before we talk about the details of these new initiatives, I want to first acknowledge the recent tragic events at the law enforcement center, where several inmates were injured, and one young man in particular, Mr.

Brill Jaheen Johnson, died.

I've been in touch with members of his family.

I plan on meeting them in the very near future to discuss some options.

But sympathy alone is not enough.

We all know that.

So I'm gonna provide you a summary of what we will talk about today.

These are our new initiatives that we're announcing at this time.

So we're announcing six interconnected initiatives.

Number one is a formation of the Making Justice and Wellness Task Force.

Number two, we'll be launching a full inmate audit.

Number three, we were launching a program called Making Justice Works.

Number four, enhancing and expanding the Making in Reach program.

Number five, creating a jail-based competency restoration program.

And finally, today we'll be releasing our request for qualifications to begin the process of planning for a jail expansion.

As many of you know, before coming mayor, I practice as an attorney for some 30 years.

All that in Making based.

But during my 30 years of experience, I had the opportunity to represent people, individuals that had issues similar to those that are in the law enforcement center during their incarceration and after their incarceration.

At that same time, I had the pleasure to work at the district attorney's office, even prosecuting cases, but helping do legal research as well for almost eight years.

I've also had this opportunity to visit jails across the state of Georgia to compare what they had going on compared to what we have going on here making.

I had an opportunity to look at their systems and practice law there to know what they do right and we can do better.

That is part of the personal experience that I bring to this table, not as your mayor, but as someone who has practiced law, who has been on both sides of the equation, someone who has been there with the victim.

We have been there with the person who committed the crime to learn all the intricacies of what we're doing here today.

That's how I know that facilities, while they are important, our work must be more comprehensive, and I can assure you it will be.

You know, the key to assess for the Making Violence Prevention Program is the buy-in at every level and a fully collaborative approach among our partners that you see here today.

We will implement that same model here with the appointment of our making justice and wellness task force that will operate as part of the MVP program.

This time I like to have those that are in our making violence prevention program to stand and be recognized.

Thank you all for being here today.

Thank you for the work that you've done in the past, but more importantly, thank you for the work that you're about to do in the future.

Now, before we talk about each specific initiative, it is important to take a moment to acknowledge the values that will guide our work together.

This is something that I believe that we all share.

First, we will always make safety our top priority for all involved.

Let me be clear: none of these initiatives are a get out of jail card free for violent offenders.

If you commit a violent crime in Macin Bibb County, you will be sent to jail, you will be staying in jail.

We have our district attorney here today that will make that happen, and we have our sheriff that will make that happen as well as our judges.

These programs mainly charge or target nonviolent offenders.

This is not being soft on crime, this is being smart on crime.

Second, we must eliminate a two-tier justice system, where individuals who can afford who can afford it are at home, while those that cannot are in jail.

One way we can do this is an ankle monitor that those who cannot afford it could get out of jail.

Today we are leveling that playing field by absorbing the cost of community monitoring for nonviolent offenders.

It's a smart thing to do.

It's a fiscally responsible thing to do.

And it's something that we have to do.

Third, we will be accountable.

A lot of people use that word all the time and don't know the meaning of it.

We will be accountable.

We will implement only evidence-based programs that show promise in other communities.