HB 462 and Raise the Age in Georgia
HB 462 - Raise the Age
EMI Georgia Network has been supporting Raise the Age since the first bill, HB 53, was filed in 2017 by Rep. Mary Margaret Oliver. We are now in 2023, and we are still supporting Raise the Age legislation that treats our children as children. While we do not agree with the addition of the gang clause in HB 462, we continue to support raising the age of juvenile court jurisdiction to include 17-year-olds. Therefore, we seek your support .
Here are several ways that you can help raise awareness and support "Raise the Age" with your legislators and local sheriff, as well as in your network and community.
Call
CALL the Georgia Sheriffs’ Association and ask the executive officers to no longer oppose "Raise the Age."
Phone Number: 770-914-1076
What to say: "Hello, my name is [give your name], and I am a Georgia resident in [name of county] County. I am calling to encourage the Georgia Sheriffs' Association to support and not oppose HB 462 "Raise the Age." This legislation is our next logical step to creating better outcomes for Georgia's 17-year-olds and continuing the reforms already universally supported by Georgia’s lawmakers.
Georgia is one of three states left in the nation that has not raised the age. Reports from other states have shown that they did not realize extensive additional costs when they raised the age of juvenile jurisdiction to age 18. Let's make sure that Georgia's youth have the same care and consideration as 47 other states by supporting HB 462.
I have emailed, via your website (Contact Us (georgiasheriffs.org), a document that provides additional common sense and data-driven reasons why HB 462 should be passed into law.
Thank you for your time, and I look forward to the Georgia Sheriffs' Association's support for HB 462."
Write
WRITE and send a letter to your local sheriff and ask him/her to support "Raise the Age." You can find your local sheriff's name and address at: Georgia Sheriffs by County
What to write: "Dear Sheriff [Name], My name is [your name], and I am a [name of county] County resident. I am writing to encourage you, as a member of the Georgia Sheriff's Association, to support HB 462 "Raise the Age." This legislation is our next logical step to creating better outcomes for Georgia's 17-year-olds and continuing the reforms already universally supported by Georgia’s lawmakers.
Georgia is one of three states left in the nation that has not raised the age. Reports from other states, such as Missouri and Connecticut, that have "raised the age" have shown that they did not realize extensive additional costs when they raised the age of juvenile jurisdiction to age 18.
In 2020, 10,700 17-year-old Georgia youth were burdened with an unnecessary criminal record. Why is Georgia using mass incarceration as the answer for youthful offenses? Let's make sure that Georgia's youth have the same care and consideration as 47 other states by supporting HB 462.
The attached document provides additional common sense and data-driven reasons why HB 462 should be passed into law. Please review the contents, and let's continue to make Georgia a place where youth can aspire to be greater than their last mistake.
Thank you for you service to Georgia's children and families. I look forward to hearing from you."
Post
POST our "Raise the Age" graphic on your media platforms.
10,700 graphic
Share
SHARE our social media hashtags when posting our advocacy messages:
#RaiseTheAgeEMIGA
Tag: @emiganetwork