AJC.com is reporting that Gov. Nathan Deal chose crime and its cost as his very first topic in his inaugural address on Monday. The GOP governor stated, "As a state, we cannot afford to have so many of our citizens waste their lives because of addictions. It is draining our State Treasury and depleting our work force … " The governor's words suggest that addicts may get treatment instead of stiff sentences, an expansion of treatment services in general, and a revision of drug laws and sentencing guidelines.
Deal's comments come on the heels of House Speaker David Ralston's comments, who wondered aloud last week if Georgia was locking up too many people, at too high a cost — particularly in the case of drug addicts. Time will tell how Ralston and Deal will address this issue, which is definitely an important one. With the House speaker and the governor on the same page about this issue, something will be done.
Read more at AJC.com.
In other news: Former U.S. House Leader Tom DeLay Gets 3 Years in Prison.