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Vol. 142, No. 29 - Waynesboro, Ga. 30830 Established in 1882 Wednesday, September 7, 2022 - $1.00
Understanding the county’s jail population
SHELLIE SMITLEY
thetuecitizen.shelliel@gmail.com
During a called meeting August
30, Sheriff Alfonzo Williams pre
sented the Board of Commission
ers with multiple reasons why the
county’s detention center is in need
of their attention.
Williams pointed out that the fa
cility, built more than three decades
ago, was not originally designed to
house female inmates. However,
since the time of construction, the
number of females arrested has
increased from an average of 3 to
20 per day.
“I think that is representative of
what is happening across the coun
try,” he said. “We just have more
females committing crimes than
probably any time that any of us
can recall.”
A dorm previously used to hold
maximum security prisoners had
to be converted to female hous
ing. The lack of space means those
charged with misdemeanors are
housed among inmates classified as
violent offenders. A trustee dorm is
now housing gang members or sex
offenders. Inmates suffering mental
health issues are also mixed in with
the incarcerated population.
“We don’t have the space to do
anything different,” Williams said
and pointed out that those charged
with petty crimes or DUI are basi
cally processed and released within a
couple hours. “This is not a situation
in which we are housing a bunch of
misdemeanors.”
Four holding SEE
cells, located at COUNTY JAIL,
the front of the fa- g
Burke County Detention Center
(I to r) Alice Lambert, Susie Scott and Johnny Roundtree celebrate their roles as grandparents every day.
Celebrating the grandparent role
SHELLIE SMITLEY
thetruecitizen.shellie@gmail.com
There is something magical
that takes place when parents turn
into grandparents.
Director of Burke County
Transit Christine Morris is a
grandmother to six ranging from
4-21 years old. All of the apples
of her eye live in Burke and Rich
mond Counties, allowing for her
to engage with them on a regular
basis. However, depending on
their age, her role varies.
“The older ones don’t have
time for grandma as much,”
she said. “But the younger ones
spend more time with me.”
The birth of her first grandchild
is a memory she holds dear.
“It was very exciting because
being a grandparent is a unique
situation,” she said. “Grandpar
ents have options that parents
don’t have, like being able to
return them back to their parents.
The responsibilities are differ
ent.”
Grand parenting affords Morris
the opportunity to teach lessons
that parenting didn’t allow. She
is also a listening ear when the
children need someone to talk to
beyond their own parents. The
sense of purpose that her rela
tionships with her grandchildren
bring to her life is strengthening.
Parents are the ones that children
always blame, but grandparents
are seen as heroes.
“It keeps me energized,” she
said. “I look forward to the week
ends because they show me the
same love that I show them. We
understand each other.”
Burke Senior Center Direc
tor Kimberly Mathis became a
grandmother for the first time ap
proximately 19 months ago. She
was present during his delivery
and was the first one to hold him.
Grayson is Mathis’s first experi
ence with watching a boy grow
up since she is the mother of four
daughters.
“It’s the most exciting time,”
she said. “He makes my heart
smile. He is not mine, but he is
mine.”
Grand parenting is a validating
experience, Mathis said. Watch
ing the bond grow between her
daughter and her grandson, she
is learning where she succeeded
as a mother.
She is also SEE
encouraged GRANDPARENTS,
when she 3
Chief Judge Willie M. Saunders spoke during a community forum August
30.
Keeping kids out of harm's way
SHELLIE SMITLEY
thetruecitizen.shellie@gmail.com
Chief Judge Willie M. Saunders
said juvenile cases have increased
in severity over the last two decades.
Nineteen children caught up in the
Augusta Judicial Circuit are awaiting
Superior Court hearings for charges
such as murder, armed robbery and
aggravated child molestation.
“When I did this 15-20 years ago,
my average criminal case was a
criminal trespass, shoplifting and
maybe a theft. Every now and then
I would get some fights,” he said.
“Fifteen years later, our average
juvenile court calendar includes
weapons on school property, fights
and aggravated assaults. The nature
of the cases that we handle have
changed, they have gotten more seri
ous in nature.”
The juvenile system is also strug
gling to cope with children who are
placed in foster care for a variety
of reasons. The most difficult and
largest part of what juvenile sys
tem workers deal with though, is
children in need of services. Previ
ously known primarily as truants or
unruly kids, these days, laws restrict
what juvenile workers can do dur
ing a time when youth are dealing
with a lot more dysfunction in their
homes. Truancy is a breakdown
of community, Saunders said. The
juvenile court judges want parents
to know that COVID-19 is no
longer a valid excuse for skipping
school unless the family has a doc
tor’s excuse. Proof of meeting the
State of Georgia’s procedures must
be presented when claiming that a
child is homeschooled. While there
is a procedure to legally drop of out
school at the age of 16, it is widely
discouraged. Saunders encouraged
people to report children who are not
attending classes.
“We want kids in school,” Saun
ders said. “We want them educated.
When you decide that you don’t want
anymore truancy as a community, it
will pretty much stop.”
Saunders warned that many chil
dren are hanging out with both male
and female children who are victims/
recruiters of commercial sexual
exploitation. The prime targets are
sixth, seventh and eighth graders.
“I felt more like a judge 15 years
ago,” Saunders said. “I step on to the
bench now, it is an exercise in crisis
management.”
Burke County has had four refer
rals and three confirmations of sex
trafficking. “Just because you are
smaller, doesn’t mean the problem
isn’t the same,” Saunders said.
Gangs substitute as family ties for
children who no longer trust adults.
Parents who do not pay enough at
tention to who their chil
dren are with are missing
the signs that their chil
dren are associating with
SEE
KIDS,
8
Sen. Warnock campaigns here
SHELLIE SMITLEY
thetruecitizen.shellie@gmail.com
During a campaign stop in
Waynesboro Thursday, September
1,53-year-old Senator Raphael War
nock met with several local leaders at
the Burke County Office Park.
Acting Mayor James Chick Jones,
Commissioner Terri Lodge Kelly,
Sheriff Alfonzo Williams and State
Representative Gloria Frazier spoke
during the rally-type gathering.
Kelly commended Warnock for his
support of small farmers. Williams
thanked the Senator for his support
of grant funding aimed at hiring and
retention of officers.
During his speech, Warnock point
ed to the passing of the American
Rescue Plan of 2021 and its reconcil
iation bill. ARP provided for a $1.9
trillion economic stimulus package
proposed by President Joe Biden to
speed up the recovery from the ef
fects of COVID-19. Warnock said he
worked with a Republican to make
sure that Georgia peanut farmers
were included in the relief measures.
“I will work with anybody if it
helps me to get something done for
the people I represent,” Warnock
said.
Warnock attributed the Expanded
Child Tax Credit, the largest tempo
rary tax cut for middle- and working-
class families in America’s history,
with assisting 97% of families with
children and by cutting child poverty
by 40%-50%.
“I think that SEE
a bill that fights WARNOCK,
child poverty is o
Senator Raphael Warnock made a campaign stop in Waynesboro last
week.