Criminal records expungement expansion in Georgia takes effect Jan. 1 | The Center Square

by Corey Burres | Jan 4, 2021

Criminal records expungement expansion in Georgia takes effect Jan. 1 | The Center Square

Millions of Georgians will start the new year with a second chance.

A new law that increases the number of criminal records that can be sealed takes effect Friday. The law, the result of Senate Bill 288, allows certain misdemeanors and nonviolent felonies to qualify for expungement.

“It is vital that we continue to reform Georgia’s criminal justice system so that reformation and reintegration is the goal, and not just punishment,” said Corey Burres, GCO’s vice president of communications. “With SB 288, we are making real efforts to help past offenders access opportunities that may not be available to them due to their criminal record.”

“We are encouraged that thousands will no longer be held back by their criminal record and will be able to find the dignity of work,” Burres said. “We must continue down this path and remove the barriers that oftentimes drive returning citizens to a place of hopelessness and lead to re-offending.”

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Nonprofit organization offering free job training to Columbus residents | WTVM-9

by Corey Burres | Dec 4, 2020

Nonprofit organization offering free job training to Columbus residents | WTVM-9

COLUMBUS, Ga. (WTVM) – As many continue to deal with unemployment, a local nonprofit has created a program to help people wanting to get back to work.

Under the Hiring Well, Doing Good program, the Georgia Center for Opportunity is offering something free called ‘Marketing Yourself’ training. The training is offered virtually and in person.

The goal is to help people who may have trouble finding good employment. The training includes what employers care about, mastering interviews, showing your strengths, and dressing for success….

Full story and video available at WTVM-9

The Working-Class Welfare Trap: How Policy Penalizes Marriage | NONPERELE

by Corey Burres | Oct 30, 2020

The Working-Class Welfare Trap: How Policy Penalizes Marriage | NONPERELE

Our tax and welfare policies often penalize marriage, trapping too many people in poverty.

…Not surprisingly, these penalties seem to play a role in fueling working-class Americans’ retreat from marriage that we have seen play out over the past three decades. In recent years, for instance, a majority of children born to working-class parents have been born outside of marriage, whereas the vast majority of upper–middle-class parents continue to have children in marriage…

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UGA grant will help Georgia couples improve relationship skills | KPVI

by Corey Burres | Oct 30, 2020

UGA grant will help Georgia couples improve relationship skills | KPVI

ATHENS — A team of University of Georgia faculty in the College of Family and Consumer Sciences aims to provide Georgia couples with healthy relationship skills and financial guidance with the help of a five-year, $6.2 million grant from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.

The team will collaborate with UGA Cooperative Extension and a network of established state and local partners to deliver the evidence-based Healthy Marriage and Relationship Education programming to couples in 60 counties across Georgia who are experiencing economic stress and are relationally vulnerable, including those who are military-connected.

Among the community-based partners is the Georgia Center for Opportunity in Gwinnett County, a nonpartisan organization that conducts public policy research and mobilizes community resources to address education, employment and family issues.

“A collaboration of this magnitude will put us in the position to transform lives and create a blueprint for families in the near future,” Joyce Mayberry, vice president of family for the Georgia Center for Opportunity, said.

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The Working-Class Welfare Trap: How Policy Penalizes Marriage | NATIONAL REVIEW

by Erik Randolph | Oct 27, 2020

The Working-Class Welfare Trap: How Policy Penalizes Marriage | NATIONAL REVIEW

Our tax and welfare policies often penalize marriage, trapping too many people in poverty.

…Not surprisingly, these penalties seem to play a role in fueling working-class Americans’ retreat from marriage that we have seen play out over the past three decades. In recent years, for instance, a majority of children born to working-class parents have been born outside of marriage, whereas the vast majority of upper–middle-class parents continue to have children in marriage…

Read the full article posted on the National Review

Virtual learning isn’t working. Gov. Kemp, we need your help | THE CHAMPION

by Corey Burres | Oct 22, 2020

Virtual learning isn’t working. Gov. Kemp, we need your help | THE CHAMPION

Gov. Brian Kemp is in a unique position to help families like mine during one of the most challenging times in our lives. My wife and I have two school-aged children, a son and a daughter. Both are being educated within the Decatur City Schools district. Our son, Wyatt, happens to have Down syndrome. He is in the fourth grade.

When the public school system shut down in March, we didn’t know what to expect. Unfortunately, the struggles of virtual learning with our son have exceeded what we thought was tolerable…

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