New committee member Steve Smith (far right), who is also the new Keep Jones Beautiful Executive Director, introduces himself at the Feb. 20 literacy meeting.
Ocmulgee Judicial Circuit Assistant District Attorneys Keagan Waystack and Gregory Bushway are assigned to Jones County and attended the Feb. 20 meeting.
When asked about a policy of making earning a GED part of the requirement for probationers, Waystack said the rule was in effect when she was hired in 2004. She said it was a rule put in place by Bushway.
“The younger they drop out of high school, the higher the recidivist rate,” she said. “We want to give them the tools to have a life. If they dropped out, they need a GED, and if they are still in school, they are required to graduate.”
Adult Education instructor Marilyn Norfleet asked if anyone checks to see if the probationers actually follow through with earning their GED. She said many enroll in the program, and she never sees them again. The instructor said no one checks to find out if they finish.
Waystack said that is the job of their probation officer, and Bushway said the prosecutors would follow up.
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