NEWS & OPINIONS
Why Recidivism Rates are Dropping
In Georgia there has been a reduction in the rate of ex-offenders returning to prison. In the most recent report from the Georgia Department of Corrections, 25.3 percent of those released from all facilities (private, state, inmate boot camps, county, transition...
Breakthrough Event: From Prison To Opportunity
Our first Breakthrough event was a huge success as we gathered to discuss the impact reentry and second chances programs had on our communities. Check out all of the latest video and presentations from the event.
Nicole’s story: How a raise meant losing food stamp benefits for this mom of four
Nicole had high hopes when she moved her family from a rural area in south Georgia to Henry County in the Atlanta metro. The cost of living went up, but the job opportunities were more plentiful and paid much better: She went from making $25,000 a year to over $35,000...
Q&A with Curtis and Tonika on their experience in the Elevate class
The COVID-19 pandemic has put stress and strain on peoples’ relationships like few other times. In this challenging environment, the Georgia Center for Opportunity has stepped up to be involved in a new series of relationship enrichment classes called Elevate for...
Education Disruption
The COVID19 pandemic has disrupted many things here in America. As every parent knows, one of the major disruptions took place in the realm of education. News has been coming out that among the disruptions in education has been the number of parents choosing to...
Taking it to the Next Level
It was a rainy Thursday night in Georgia, but that didn’t stop couples from gathering for a night of food and fun, and strengthening couples and marriages in their relationships. #ElevateCouples Pop-up Event was hosted by GCO’s Family team (formerly Healthy Families...
BETTER WORK Co-hosts A Job Fair To Support Gwinnett Families Facing Housing Crisis
GCO partnered with the Lawrenceville Cooperative Ministry to help displaced families Today we're witnessing an unprecedented labor market, with a record-high 10.9 million unfilled job openings across the country in August. One of the key challenges we are facing is...
The Georgia Center for Opportunity has signed on to a letter in favor of the EQUAL Act
The Georgia Center for Opportunity has signed on to a letter with 37 organizations across the ideological spectrum in favor of the EQUAL Act now pending in Congress.The EQUAL Act would end the federal prison sentence disparity between crack cocaine and powdered...
Better Work Access and Encourage Worker Freedoms
The Manhattan Institute recently released a report arguing that now is a key time to reform our nation's safety-net system. The goal should be not to offer more income guarantees but to minimize downside risk so that workers are able to move up the economic ladder....
Origins of the Georgia Center for Opportunity: Why we focus on education
If you’ve been following the work and mission of the Georgia Center for Opportunity (GCO), you’ve probably heard us talk about the Success Sequence. It’s a proven model to alleviate poverty that says a good education leads to a stable job, which in turn leads to...
Eviction Moratorium Expired and the House of Representatives Left Town. What now?
Late on the evening of August 3rd, 2021, the Centers for Disease Control announced it was extending its eviction moratorium for people in an area of “substantial and high transmission” of the COVID-19 virus. This was followed up by the astounding statement by...
Press Release on the U.S. Senate’s Social Services Expansion
PEACHTREE CORNERS—The U.S. Senate approved an entirely partisan reconciliation bill of at least $3.5 trillion that irresponsibly includes the biggest expansion of social services. In his own words, Senate Budget Commit- tee Chairman Bernie Sanders said the budget...
MEDIA MENTIONS
Year-over-year inflation rate now stands at 6.5%
Today the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics announced that the Consumer Price Index (CPI) dropped 0.1% in December, meaning the year-over-year inflation rate now stands at 6.5%. The Bureau also released the 2022 annual average price level, which was 8% higher than 2021....
Opinion: Georgia students need more schooling choices
Georgia lawmakers have a unique opportunity this legislative session to change lives. All it takes is one step — passing Education Scholarship Accounts, or ESAs. The undeniable truth is that parents want more educational options for their children and the kids...
Welcome lawmakers to Atlanta for the opening of the 2023 session
We’re excited to see what the new session holds for our state, and we stand ready to assist lawmakers in passing an agenda that serves all Georgians.
Georgia education officials cite education loss as a top priority for 2023
Georgia education officials say they plan to address lost learning opportunities stemming from the COVID-19 pandemic. But a leading Georgia nonprofit says state lawmakers should pass legislation to give parents more educational choices, saying the pandemic...
Why Our Justice System Is Making More Criminals Than Preventing & Ways to Reform w/ Joshua Crawford
On this Heard Tell Good Talks our guest is Joshua Crawford, Director of Criminal Justice Initiatives at the Georgia Center for Opportunity talk about how our criminal justice system is making more criminals than it is preventing.
Report: Charter school enrollment increases in Georgia
More Georgia students are attending charter schools, while enrollment at public schools is declining, according to a new report. New figures from the National Alliance for Public Charter Schools show that Georgia experienced a roughly 4.9% increase in charter...
New national study shows America’s gun epidemic is more deadly than ever
A new national study commissioned by the Journal of American Medical Association shows America’s gun violence epidemic is more deadly than ever. The study analyzes data from 1990-2021 and provides context into the gender and racial disparities of gun violence in that...
New national study shows America’s gun epidemic is more deadly than ever
LOUISVILLE, Ky. (WAVE) - A new national study commissioned by the Journal of American Medical Association shows America’s gun violence epidemic is more deadly than ever. The study analyzes data from 1990-2021 and provides context into the gender and racial disparities...
