In 2020, the University of Georgia began a two-year project to examine the drivers of rising jail incarceration rates in a sample of rural counties throughout Georgia. In addition to data collection and analysis, the project involved developing potential policy and practice solutions tailored to rural areas, as well as helping to bring these rural-focused policy solutions to the attention of state and national policymakers. Over the course of the project, the UGA team convened criminal justice system stakeholders in seven rural counties across the state to build a knowledge base of local justice and jail data in rural areas, engage criminal justice system stakeholders and community members in discussion and analysis of their local systems, and generate possible solutions and policy decisions that are tailored to the specific needs of rural communities.
