Issue link: http://maconmagazine.uberflip.com/i/1365748
WHAT DO YOU FIND MOST REWARDING ABOUT YOUR CAREER? The ability to help victims and seek justice for our communities. I have chosen to stay in prosecution because we have the best ability to create opportunities of hope to promote equitable outcomes that will make our communities safe. WHAT DOES IT MEAN TO YOU TO BECOME THE FIRST FEMALE AFRICAN- AMERICAN DISTRICT ATTORNEY FOR THE MACON JUDICIAL CIRCUIT? As the first African-American and first female DA, this is a huge honor and an even bigger responsibility. Our community deserves to be represented to the highest honor while bringing justice to people who have felt ignored and underrepresented in our criminal justice system. I am hopeful that we will have a DA's office that is more reflective of the communities we serve. I hope that I can inspire other young girls of color to reach for the highest heights in their lives and careers. LOCAL BUZZ Get to know Anita Howard, Macon-Bibb District Attorney BY RENEE CORWINE A nita Reynolds Howard is the first female African-American district attorney in the Macon Judicial Circuit. It's a position she calls a "huge honor and an even bigger responsibility." Coming from a family of public servants, it's a natural fit for the Middle Georgia native. Howard's mother taught in the Houston County School System for 34 years, and her father served as a captain in the Army National Guard and was an elected member of the Crawford County Board of Education. About her new role, Howard says, "I see law as my service to the community – fighting for victims of crime and seeking justice both in and out of the courtroom." Married to Macon native Todd Howard and a bonus mom to three children, Howard took office Jan. 1. Get to know her in this brief QA, and read more at maconmagazine.com. WHAT CAN MACON DO TO HELP FOSTER LAW CAREERS FOR YOUNG AFRICAN- AMERICAN WOMEN? Mentorship has always been important to me. I plan to continue mentoring girls by visiting schools and organizations and talking about the role of the law and the DA's office. My office will be starting a Junior Justice League in the summer for youth of the Macon Judicial Circuit. By continuing to put a different face on justice, I hope I can inspire girls to be attorneys. WHAT ARE YOUR PLANS FOR A TRAINING/MENTORING PROGRAM WITH NEW LAWYERS AND INTERNS? I have served as an adjunct criminal justice professor at Middle Georgia State University. I believe that exposing young people to law careers at an early age can foster more attorneys who hopefully will stay within the Macon Judicial Circuit. Bringing the best and brightest to the Middle Georgia Circuit is a high priority for my administration. We will be working with the law schools in and around the circuit, as well as developing relationships with organizations of color around Georgia, to recruit a diverse team of prosecutors. WHAT NATIONAL BEST PRACTICES DO YOU PLAN TO EMULATE? I campaigned on bringing preventative youth initiatives, criminal justice reform, fairness and transparency to the Macon Judicial Circuit. I am excited to bring a Second Chance Academy to our circuit, where we can hold people accountable without destroying lives. Instituting a Case Flow Analysis will measure our own data to study and prevent racial and economic bias in our circuit. The Junior Justice League for seventh and eighth grade students will give them a first look at the criminal justice system in a positive way. Finally, our Accountability Council, with leaders from Bibb, Crawford and Peach counties, will rebuild the community's confidence in a broken criminal justice system. All of these initiatives have goals that we have seen focused on from a national scope – disrupting mass incarceration, increasing prosecutorial accountability, 48 maconmagazine.com | APRIL/MAY 2021