$240K grant goes to Macon prosecutor who’s fighting youth crime. ‘How we break the cycle’
A Middle Georgia district attorney has been awarded $240,000 to reduce violent crime among children in Bibb, Crawford and Peach counties.
District Attorney Anita R. Howard received the money for her R.I.S.E program, which stands for Restoring Inspiration by Success in Education initiative. She created the program in 2022. Its purpose is to protect youth from violent crime by providing positive experiences like mentorship, counseling and summer camps.
Research by the National Institute of Health and the Center for Disease Control and Prevention indicates traumatic childhood experiences brought by violent crime are linked to negative health outcomes, lifelong instability and increased future violent victimization and perpetration, Rep. Sanford Bishop said Thursday when Howard received the grant, which was awarded by Bishop.
Bishop, a Democrat who represents Georgia’s 2nd Congressional District, emphasized that in order to successfully address crime in these counties, they cannot focus solely on punishing teens.
“Doing so squanders the potential of so many of our youth who may otherwise need safer, healthier and more productive lives away from the ground through preventative measures like the R.I.S.E program,” said Bishop.
The superintendent for the Bibb County School District, Dan Sims, said the grant award was “the answer to my daily prayers.” He said the school district strives to make the best experience for children but the help from outside organizations like R.I.S.E makes violence prevention more successful.
“As I think about these funds that are coming to the R.I.S.E program, I am just now standing on tiptoes about the lives of those children,” Sims said. “I’ve seen some of those children in the program and I’ve seen their lives and I’ve heard about their lives being turned around as a result of this additional support.”
Christy Henry, the executive director at the Family Counseling Center of Central Georgia, said residents in Bibb, Peach and Crawford counties experience poverty at higher rates than state and national averages. Bibb and Peach counties have among the worst poverty rates in Georgia, according to the National Institute on Minority Health and Health Disparities.
The children who are participating in this program have lost loved ones in homicides, been incarcerated or witnessed or been victims in physical, emotional or sexual abuse.
“They have felt unsafe at home,” Henry said. “They have been bullied, wondered where they would get their next meal, been exposed to alcohol and other drugs at an early age and so much more.” when you’re attributing a quote, it should pretty much always be “name said,” not “said name.”
Henry shared the story of one high schooler who, through the R.I.S.E program, was able to confront his anxiety. He created a clothing brand that allows him to be creative, productive and stay out of trouble, Henry said.
“This is how we break the intergenerational cycle of poverty and crime,” said Henry. “This funding is going to positively impact the trajectory of lives of these children and their families.”
How will this Middle Georgia grant be used?
Howard shared her excitement about the grant money Thursday. The congressman’s staff contacted her to show their support for the R.I.S.E initiative, she said. She wasn’t aware she qualified for congressional dollars until that moment.
One of the ways she’s using the grant is to hire more full-time therapists at the district attorney’s office to assist those children who have participated in a crime, becoming the first district attorney’s office in Georgia that provides the services. She also intends to contribute to the work of the Family Counseling Center of Central Georgia, which will help strengthen their collaboration with the youth of Bibb, Crawford and Peach counties.
“Always remember the portrait of justice looks different depending on who is holding the paintbrush,” Howard said.
