GJP clients come to them at a crossroads. Some set of circumstances has placed them in the criminal justice system. The client needs a good lawyer, but they don’t have the money to hire a private lawyer.  GJP provides them with a free lawyer, but there is a cost.    The client must be committed to making certain lifestyle changes. GJP carefully selects which clients and cases to take on and agrees to represent individuals only if those individuals are willing to work, accept counseling or treatment, and pursue job training or educational opportunities.  GJP is concerned not only with the client’s legal case, but also with their life history and goals.    Both lawyer and client are committed to life change.  The client signs a contract outlining the commitments the client will make in exchange for the legal representation and social services that GJP provides. 

Ron Boyter, Director of Legal Services for GJP, says, “our clients pay by committing to and following a social service plan.”  The plan is based on the individual and is developed as part of a comprehensive evaluation of the client.   If the client fulfills his/her obligations they have GJP in their corner forever.  GJP will help them if they go to prison, or want their record cleared, or need a job.  However, if the client stops paying, by falling short in their plan, the GJP lawyer can get off the case.   Boyter says GJP is for anyone who really wants to make that change, “whether they are a first time offender or have offended 100 times and are now at rock bottom, realizing that all the excuses of the past have run out.” Boyter, a former prosecutor of murder cases, said by the time he got the murder case it was too late to prevent two families from being destroyed.  He would look at the defendant’s history and see so many opportunities to step in and help stop the cycle of crime before it got out of hand.  GJP steps into that opportunity and links legal and social services to hopefully make a difference.Once GJP has accepted a client, it provides, without any cost to the client, a network of social services that address the individual’s specific needs.  If the client hasn’t graduated from high school, GJP provides GED classes.  If the client is unemployed, GJP provides job skills and employment with its landscaping company, New Horizon Landscaping.  According to Dell Pearce, “employment is a critical component of the social plan.”  GJP helps the client develop marketable job skills. Although women make up just under 10% of those in the criminal justice system, 30% of GJP clients are women.  In order to address the unique challenges facing female clients looking for a job, GJP plans to open a bakery by the end of 2009.  The bakery will help to develop employment skills and an entry point into the job market for their female clients. GJP is also active in the community. 

This past October, GJP hosted the Grass Roots Justice Awards, an annual event that honors individuals who have made significant contributions to advancing justice.    GJP also helps at-risk children succeed in school with a Back 2 School Program which provides school supplies and educational resources.  There are also regularly scheduled continuing legal education presentations at GJP offices on Edgewood Avenue.  GJP also has a Coming Home program that addresses the collateral consequences of an arrest or conviction.  The services offered range from helping expunge criminal records, to housing, employment, or obtaining certain business licenses or public benefits. The Georgia Justice Project truly is an unlikely mix of lawyers, social workers and a landscaping company.  GJP defends people accused of crimes, and, win or lose; they stand with their clients while they rebuild their lives.   The holistic approach of GJP has resulted in a recidivism rate for GJP clients which is less than one-third the national average. GJP receives no government funding.  It depends upon the tax deductable contributions of all sizes from donors.  GJP's website is www.GJP.org