NEWS & OPINIONS
Frightfully pricey treats: Why Halloween fun is costing Georgia families more
As Halloween approaches, Georgia families look forward to making great memories involving adorable costumes and fun candy hauls. But candy prices have become nothing short of scary for families trying to make ends meet. Here’s why prices are on the rise for Georgia’s favorite Halloween treats.
Decarceration’s Disconnect: Corrections spending rises in Georgia even as prison population declines
Prison reform debates often focus on reducing prison populations to save taxpayers money. But is that actually possible? In a new report for the Manhattan Institute, Joshua Crawford, Public Safety Fellow at the Georgia Center for Opportunity, reveals some surprising answers.
Recasting Lawrenceville as a resilient, connected community
Through our partnership with the ReCAST initiative, residents in Lawrenceville are finding purpose, hope, and connection through employment. One powerful example is Josiah, who found a path forward by participating in our Jobs for Life class.
GCO welcomes new team members to grow our BETTER WORK initiative
The Georgia Center for Opportunity (GCO) is pleased to welcome two new team members, Mariah Thomas and Angelique Valentine. They will be program specialists for our BETTER WORK initiative. BETTER WORK empowers communities to be the first line of assistance for local...
Non-working adults concentrated in Georgia’s distressed communities
Many Georgia counties face high rates of non-working adults, fueling distress and limiting opportunities in struggling communities. See the percentages for your county.
What to know about education in Georgia as students go back to school
As August ushers in a new school year in Georgia, nearly two million students are headed back to our states 2,300 public schools. How are Georgia schools doing when it comes to preparing kids for work and life? Here’s a look at some key measures.
Three issues Georgia parents are most concerned about
A new report on child well-being from Emory University reveals the issues that Georgia parents say are impacting kids—and their futures—most.
What Georgia can learn from other states about fixing welfare
Like most states, Georgia’s welfare system is a maze of complex rules and disconnected programs that trap people in a cycle of frustration and dependence. A few states are beginning to rethink how welfare operates and are making changes that could also work in Georgia.
It’s time to eliminate marriage penalties in the U.S. tax code
An important step to eliminate marriage penalties is to take those programs away from the IRS and give them to an agency that knows how to run safety-net programs.
Georgia ranks 14th on new school choice index—but that’s not a win yet
A new index measuring families’ access to school choice nationwide shows Georgia has our work cut out for us to catch up to Florida, Alabama, and other states leading on education opportunity.
From classrooms to careers: Georgia laws that passed (and didn’t) in 2025
Georgia lawmakers wrapped up the 2025 legislative session with some big decisions that affect our state’s families, students, and workers.
Kentucky’s latest criminal justice reform improves fairness, accountability, and safety through better data practices
House Bill 136, crafted with research and expertise from the Georgia Center for Opportunity, empowers Kentucky lawmakers with data to make fairer decisions and build a better criminal justice system.
MEDIA MENTIONS
On Thanksgiving, remember that gratitude makes good citizens, heals divisions
Originally published November 20, 2025 President Abraham Lincoln officially made Thanksgiving a national holiday in 1863, during the Civil War that threatened the very existence of the United States. He wanted to unify the nation by encouraging Americans to count...
The safety net ‘system’ that isn’t
Eric Cochling in Governing Originally published November 20, 2025 Starting in 2027, work requirements kick in for certain beneficiaries on Medicaid, while new work rules for the SNAP food assistance program took effect on Nov. 1. These reforms mandated by the One Big...
A legacy of healing — Documentary tells ReCAST Lawrenceville’s journey through residents’ stories
Excerpt from Gwinnett Daily Post profile: Originally published October 15, 2025 Funded four years ago with a $5 million federal grant, ReCAST Lawrenceville has been an invaluable resource to a host of city residents as it works with its partners — Impact 46, the...
The fantasy that cutting prison populations saves a lot of money
Joshua Crawford in Governing Originally published October 31, 2025 State leaders hoping to trim budgets by reducing prison populations are in for some disappointment. Proponents of decarceration often tout potential savings, but despite a 24 percent drop in state...
New Report: Corrections spending rises in Georgia even as prison population declines
A new report by Joshua Crawford, Public Safety Fellow at the Georgia Center for Opportunity, shows that the decreasing number of inmates hasn’t translated to meaningful savings or improvements in public safety for Georgians.
National poverty rate fails to Capture the problem of poverty concentration in Georgia and beyond
PEACHTREE CORNERS, GA—The official poverty rate fell 0.4% to 10.6% in 2024, according to the U.S. Census Bureau’s latest report on poverty. The data shows that 35.9 million Americans were living in poverty last year. These numbers suggest trends at a high level, but...
Are we witnessing a Baltimore Miracle in the fight against crime?
Baltimore has struggled with crime, especially drugs and violent crime, in both reality and in the imaginations of the American people for decades. That is, until recently. What changed and what can other high-crime cities learn from Baltimore’s approach?
Welfare stands in the way of the American dream
Meaningful relationships and a strong sense of community are as much a part of the American dream as any economic measure. What’s rarely discussed is how systemic obstacles are undermining these important aspects of a flourishing life.
