Macon Magazine

but Howard emphasized that the extra hours spent outside of the court and with people, especially youth, who aren't involved with the criminal justice system are just as important. By orienting a number of services towards children before they are in front of the courtroom, Howard is taking a holistic approach to public safety: "I'm a big believer in the science of hope. Believing in yourself, believing in others, believing in your dreams. Allowing kids to believe in others by having that consistency with relationships." This is particularly important, Howard said, in impoverished communities, where more services can improve outcomes before a criminal offense occurs. "We can't prosecute our way to safer communities. No prosecutor has ever done that. You're always going to have more cases than trial weeks," she explained. Retired Judge Bill Adams also sees the need in Macon, and, like Howard, is using his extensive experience in the courtroom to transform the world outside of it. After 18 years as Judge of the State Court of Bibb County, he has turned his attention to Middle Georgia Justice (MGJ), serving as president of the board. MGJ is a new organization founded in 2018 to identify the gaps in legal services, then support and supplement existing systems for providing legal assistance to those in need. To Adams, lessening inequality is at the heart of the work MGJ is trying to achieve. He explained, "We aspire to equal justice under the law in America, but we don't really have that. For folks who need legal work and can't afford it, they oftentimes try to handle it themselves. When they get legal assistance, they can overcome obstacles that are keeping them down." EVERYBODY HAS A LEGAL NEED The breadth of services provided out of these Macon offices is as impressive as the depth. Federal Defenders of the Middle District of Georgia Inc. serves a district stretching from the South Carolina border down to Florida state line, then west to the Alabama border. GLSP's Macon office handles 23 counties in the region. DA Howard oversees cases in not just Bibb County, but nearby Crawford and Peach Counties as well. And MGJ reaches across community partners all around the region from volunteer clinics to universities to conduct their mission. Legal services can seem opaque as a community need. Complicated documents can change by jurisdiction and require the knowledge of niche specialists. But advocates for justice in Middle Georgia want people to know how essential this work is – and ubiquitous. "The law should be for every citizen, and the legal system can be right complicated. Almost everybody is going to have a legal need, eventually. When a family member dies, you have a divorce, legitimations for the rights of fathers. Citizens getting legal relief they need is why we need everybody's support – everyone benefits from the services we're providing," Adams noted. Adams explained that the chain reaction of providing access to justice can transform society. One service MGJ assists citizens with is handling heirs property, an issue in FROM LEFT TO RIGHT: JUDGE BILL ADAMS, MIDDLE GEORGIA JUSTICE FOUNDER AND BOARD PRESIDENT; MIDDLE GEORGIA JUSTICE STAFF AMY DEVER, EMILY HULSEY, DANIELLE HYSELL, AND JUDGE BILL ADAMS; HOWARD WITH SERVICE DOG LAMAR AND STAFF IN SUPPORT OF CRISIS LINE AND SAFE HOUSE; HOWARD AND STAFF ATTEND JUNETEENTH FESTIVAL IN TATTNALL SQUARE PARK. 56 maconmagazine.com | AUGUST/SEPTEMBER 2022

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