Southern Center for Human Rights

On Wednesday, October 30, 2024, join us at the JW Marriot Washington DC for the annual Southern Center for Human Rights’ Frederick Douglass Awards dinner, celebrating the changemakers who defend and advance human rights and equal justice for all. Registration for tickets and sponsorships is now open. https://www.schr.org/upcoming_events/28th-annual-frederick-douglass-awards-dinner/

It is with a heavy heart that we share that our client, Ricardo Daughtry, passed away at the age of 40 while incarcerated here in Georgia. He was the lead plaintiff in a suit to end inhumane conditions in Georgia's most restrictive prison, the SMU, and his courage touched many lives. Please help his family cover his funeral costs: https://www.mightycause.com/story/Rdaughtry.

Support Rest in Peace, Ricardo Daughtry on Mightycause Assistance for the loving family of Ricardo Daughtry

Read our statement regarding the ongoing prosecution of Atlanta Public School educators: https://www.schr.org/southern-center-for-human-rights-statement-regarding-ongoing-prosecution-of-atlanta-public-school-educators/

Today, SCHR Senior Attorney Gerry Weber appeared in front of the Georgia Supreme Court for oral arguments in Williams, Congresswoman et al. v. Powell et al., our lawsuit challenging the state law used to justify the 2018 arrest of Capitol protestors, including then-state Senator Nikema Williams, and the 2021 arrest of Representative Park Cannon for protesting voter suppression and disenfranchisement.

Gerry and the SCHR team were joined by co-counsel Zack Greenamyre of Mitchell Shapiro, David Dreyer of Dreyer Sterling LLC, and Representative Park Cannon.

Watch at https://www.gasupreme.us/oa-may-15-2024/

In just one week, on May 14, we invite you to join us for a truly inspiring event: the Justice Taking Root Benefit Reception at The Foundry at Puritan Mill in Atlanta. Together, we will honor and celebrate the extraordinary contributions of Mitchell Shapiro Greenamyre & Funt LLP and Spears & Filipovits LLC. Visit www.schr.org/justicetakingroot to learn more about these extraordinary firms and purchase your tickets and sponsorships today.

A federal court has issued an order holding Georgia prison officials in contempt for their persistent violations of a settlement agreement and court order designed to protect men in the Georgia Department of Corrections’ Special Management Unit. The settlement agreement in Daughtry v. Emmons requires the GDC to alleviate the harmful effects of extreme isolation in the State’s most restrictive prison. Read our full statement at thttps://www.schr.org/federal-judge-holds-georgia-department-of-corrections-officials-in-contempt/

On May 4th, 2024, join the Southern Center for Human Rights, Color of Change, and the Center for Constitutional Rights for “Rep-A-Thon”, a live-streamed legal defense fundraiser.

Harkening back to old-school telethons that generated attention toward worthy causes, this new-age Rep-a-Thon is centered on raising awareness of the attack on the right to protest and dissent in Metro Atlanta and to raise funds to support SCHR’s First Amendment Lawyer Bridge, a joint effort with Community Justice Exchange to coordinate legal representation for individuals facing prosecution for exercising their right to protest and dissent, as well as providing support and training to the attorneys representing them.

Register today at the link to make your pledge and receive reminders, updates, and other information about Rep-a-Thon.

https://www.schr.org/upcoming_events/rep-a-thon/

Join us on April 12th at 5:00 PM at The Ke'nekt Cooperative in Atlanta and virtually for a training on digital security and searches for community activists and organizers. Hosted by the First Amendment Lawyer Bridge (a project of SCHR), the Center for Constitutional Rights, and Project South, the training will also cover general know-your-rights topics regarding state repression. We will be joined by a digital forensics expert from Envista Forensics.

This is a hybrid event. Registration is required, and in-person attendance is limited. Register at https://bit.ly/falbdigitalsecuritytraining

A new investigation by the Atlanta Community Press Collective explores the Atlanta Police Foundation's push for invasive pre-trial surveillance and monitoring.

"We are troubled by this proposal of the Atlanta Police Foundation and hope that it will be rejected. Not only should this non-profit entity have no role in designating human beings as “repeat off*nders,” but this level of overreaching surveillance of people who nevertheless enjoy the presumption of innocence is significantly out of step with emerging best practices globally.

Further, the unvetted Talitrix technology appears to align with this country’s history of using Black people and communities as unwitting research subjects. Criminal legal policy experts recommend a host of other resources and systems that make it more likely that people being prosecuted return to court to resolve their cases. 24-hour video, audio, and biometric surveillance is not one of them." - Tiffany Williams Roberts, Public Policy Director, Southern Center for Human Rights

Read the full report at https://atlpresscollective.com/2024/04/01/atlanta-police-foundation-pushed-unprecedented-surveillance-plan/

As Women’s History Month ends, SCHR salutes the rabble-rousers, the truth-tellers, and the unwavering last line in our fight for equality, dignity, and justice. https://mailchi.mp/schr/the-unwavering-last-line

Members of our policy team are at the GA Capitol today for , the final day of the 2023-2024 biennial legislative session. This concludes months of debate and decision-making on legislation that will continue to shape the future of Georgia’s criminal legal system. Today, as always, we are thankful for our partners joining with us to ensure legislation we support reaches the governor’s desk and to prevent as many harmful bills as we can from becoming law. Review our latest legislative update to find out how you can take action. https://www.schr.org/legislative-update-day-39/

Last night, Georgia executed Mr. Willie James Pye, a Black man with an IQ of 68. Because Georgia did not have a statewide public defender system when he went to trial, Mr. Pye was represented by a low-paid court-appointed lawyer with a documented history of using racial slurs against Black people. Mr. Pye's ex*****on, the first in Georgia since January 2020, is senseless. Yet, it should also be a call to action. As we've previously shared, Georgia is an outlier on death penalty & intellectual disability, being the only state requiring juries to decide guilt or innocence while also deliberating intellectual disability with the insurmountable standard of proof of beyond a reasonable doubt. It is past time we right this wrong for people like Mr. Pye.

Today, we remember Ahmaud Arbery, a 25-year-old Black son, brother, and runner, whom three white vigilantes near Brunswick, Georgia, murdered on February 23, 2020.

Mr. Arbery’s death spurred our push to end Georgia’s citizens’ arrest law, a law our beloved, late Public Policy Director, Marissa McCall Dodson, said was weaponized “for more than 150 years to justify anti-Black violence.” Marissa helped author a bill to end citizens’ arrest, and in 2021, Georgia became the first state to repeal the practice in the U.S.

We honor Mr. Arbery, his family, and the communities who fight to end racial violence today and always.

Today marks Legislative Day 21, which means we are more than halfway through the legislative session! As we approach Crossover Day in two weeks (February 29), legislators will work to pass legislation from one chamber to the next. SCHR’s State policy team members are working diligently and collaboratively with our partners to focus on building support among lawmakers and the public for essential reform to mitigate the negative impact of the criminal legal system.⁠
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Follow the link to read updates about important legislation and to learn how you can put advocacy into action by attending our community advocacy days: Pain & Power Part II Symposium on Thursday, February 22 at the Auburn Avenue Research Library and Justice Day at the Capitol on Thursday, February 29. https://www.schr.org/legislative-update-day-21/

On this Valentine’s Day, we are honored to share this special message from SCHR's Executive Director, Terrica Redfield Ganzy. Watch at

Happy Valentine's Day from SCHR

Please join the Southern Center for Human Rights on Thursday, February 22, 2024, at 6:00 PM at the Auburn Avenue Research Library for Pain & Power Part II: Tackling Police Violence in Atlanta.

Atlanta residents participated in our Community Safety & Police Violence project over the last year and offered solutions directly to elected officials as community experts. Pain & Power Part II will feature the mini-documentary we commissioned about the project, followed by a lawmaker panel and community talk-back about what change is possible right now. This is our effort to provide a brave space for lawmakers and community members to discuss the implementation of practical policy solutions.

RSVP at https://wvpemtx5b8k.typeform.com/to/sjfdY0uG

The Atlanta Magazine has named our very own Tiffany Roberts one of the city's 500 Most Powerful Leaders – for the 5th time in a row. Congratulations, Tiffany! Your remarkable leadership continues to inspire us all!

Join the Justice Reform Partnership (JRP) tomorrow, Tuesday, 2/5, @ 6:30 pm, as we focus on the ongoing crisis within Georgia’s prisons and how everyday people can work to reduce harm for those inside. SCHR is an anchor organization of the JRP, a statewide coalition of approximately 80 orgs working for criminal legal reforms to help Georgians. RSVP at https://justicereformpartnership.org/tjt/

On February 1, 2024, the Georgia Senate passed Senate Bill 63. This bill, sponsored by Senator Randy Robertson, raises numerous concerns at the Southern Center and among our organizational partners for its potential to negatively impact criminal legal reform efforts throughout Georgia, specifically within the City of Atlanta and Fulton County. Senate Bill 63 proposes expanding mandatory cash bail to 30 new offenses, including many non-violent misdemeanors, requiring judges to impose cash bail for many offenses that do not involve physical harm to another person, such as possession of less than an ounce of ma*****na, failure to appear, forgery, and criminal trespass.

Further, SB 63 essentially bans bail funds by not allowing organizations, charities, individuals, or groups to bail out more than three people per year and requiring them to register as bonding agencies.

We are calling on our supporters to take action and urge our legislators to vote NO on SB 63. More info and action alert at https://www.schr.org/georgia-senate-passes-regressive-bill-targeting-cash-bail-and-community-support/

WATCH NOW: SCHR and partners provide testimony on House Bill 1014. https://vimeo.com/showcase/8988934?autoplay=1

This bill would change GA law related to the death penalty for people with intellectual disability (ID), lowering the standard of proof for ID and removing the ID determination from the guilt phase of litigation. Learn more at https://mailchi.mp/schr/hb-1014-we-have-a-death-penalty-id-reform-bill

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We are happy to share that thanks to the admirable advocacy of Georgians like you, Chairman Bill Werkheiser, State Representative Matt Reeves, and six of their peers introduced House Bill 1014 this week. This bill would change Georgia law related to the death penalty for people with intellectual disability (ID) by doing two things: (1) lowering the standard of proof for ID and (2) removing the ID determination from the guilt phase of litigation. Learn more at https://mailchi.mp/schr/hb-1014-we-have-a-death-penalty-id-reform-bill

On February 6, Emory Law's Public Interest Committee (EPIC) will present SCHR Deputy Director Atteeyah Hollie with a 2024 EPIC Inspiration Award for her Unsung Devotion to Those Most in Need. Learn more and purchase tickets at https://bit.ly/24epicawards.

The Justice Reform Partnership's Talk Justice Tuesday advocacy series continues tonight @ 6:30 PM ET. Georgia leads the nation for sentencing Juvenile Life Without Parole (JLWOP) and has seen a 100% increase since 2012. Join advocates to discuss what it will take to abolish this practice. Register at https://justicereformpartnership.org/tjt/

Close your eyes and imagine. It's August 28, 1963, a sea of faces stretching beneath the Washington Monument, united in a yearning for change. A hush falls as Dr. King moves through his prepared remarks. Then, a voice rings out: "Tell them about the dream, Martin!"

Mahalia Jackson, a titan of song, had grasped the moment's pulse. She knew the world needed to hear the melody of Dr. King's heart, unfettered by scripts and expectations. And in that instant, history shifted. Dr. King abandoned his notes, his voice rising, his words weaving a tapestry of hope so vivid, so powerful, it still resounds across generations. Read more at http://eepurl.com/iH2jg6

As we step into the promise of a new year, we are reflecting on the timeless words of Sojourner Truth: "I am the seed of the free, and I know it. I intend to bear great fruit." Read more: https://mailchi.mp/schr/happy-new-year

https://mailchi.mp/schr/if-not-us-then-who-will-Uncertain times call for unwavering action. For over 45 years, the Southern Center for Human Rights has refused to be a bystander in the face of injustice, challenging the shadows of cruelty, discrimination, and racism that permeate the criminal legal system. Today, we call on you to join us as we work to achieve the impossible. https://mailchi.mp/schr/if-not-us-then-who-will-stand