ATLANTA — For three years, Jamariel Hobbs was confined to Georgia, unable to travel freely or move where he wanted to. At the beginning, a probation officer showed up at random times of night to test him for drugs.

The soft-spoken Hobbs, now 29, was among almost 176,000 Georgia residents on probation, the largest per capita population in the United States. Then he got lucky. Because of a new law, the court slashed what was supposed to be nine years of probation to three.

He was free.

“Probation feels like a leash,” he said. “I have my future back.”

People are often put on probation for low-level crimes such as drug possession or nonviolent theft. Georgia refuses to cap sentences the way many other jurisdictions do.

The practice of long sentences persisted for years despite research suggesting that the likelihood of people reoffending drops after three years on probation. In short, longer probation may do little to improve public safety.

“You’re talking about folks who have often been through a lot of trauma and feel like they are constantly walking around with a weight on their shoulders, a cloud over their head, where the smallest little thing could completely derail all the work they’ve put in,” said Wade Askew of the Georgia Justice Project.

People on probation also have to pay fees to help offset the cost of monitoring them, a particular burden for low-income people.

Previous attempts to free people from probation stalled

Under state law, a lot more people like Hobbs could have been free. In 2017, Georgia lawmakers passed a bipartisan bill designed to reduce the number of people on probation by letting some off early. According to a study by the Urban Institute, the measure could have translated into roughly one-third of the men and women on felony probation being offered sentences with the opportunity for time off their probation after three years at most, providing they stayed out of trouble.

Instead, just 213 sentences that included the possibility of an early end to probation actually finished ahead of schedule, according to Georgia’s Department of Community Supervision.

The Legislature’s directive fell short for multiple reasons. Judges often failed to include possible early termination dates for probation when they should have and they turned down the Department of Community Supervision’s requests to end probation early.

In 2021, the Legislature passed a second law outlining stricter guidelines to make the process more automatic.

To qualify for their freedom, people who are convicted of a felony for the first time have to pay off any restitution they owe and avoid being arrested for anything more serious than a routine traffic violation. They also have to have avoided their probation being revoked anytime within the previous two years. Judges or prosecutors can request a hearing if they oppose a case.

And people who have been on probation for at least three years can seek an early end if they meet the criteria, even if they were originally sentenced to a longer period.

Judges and lawyers say they’re seeing progress

Observers – including judges and lawyers – say the new law seems to be more effective than the original.

By last January, Georgia’s probationary population had fallen about 8% from 190,475 in 2021, according to the Department of Community Supervision, echoing nationwide trends.

The department said it could not readily provide the number of people released from probation under the criteria set out in 2021. What is known, is that at least 26,523 sentences have ended early since the bill passed, though many of those terminations could have been granted for other reasons.

“It has been a very successful, very big first step,” Askew said.

Some defense lawyers and advocates across the state say they still see eligible people on probation struggle to get probation officers to act. Others say they encounter judges and prosecutors less friendly to the changes.

“If you want to get something done, you’ve really got to hound them,” said Devin Rafus, an Atlanta defense lawyer.

Jamariel Hobbs had a friendly judge.

One man finds the exit

The Emory University graduate’s life seemed to be on track after he earned his degree in Japanese in 2019. He landed a sales job peddling auto parts across the South. Then, the pandemic took a toll on Hobbs’ mental health. After intervening in a family argument in 2020, he was charged with aggravated assault, according to Hobbs and the indictment against him.

He spent months couch surfing after his friends bailed him out of jail. He lost his job and his company car. In December 2021, he was sentenced to a year of incarceration and nine on probation, but was able to avoid jail time by enrolling in Georgia’s Accountability Court Program for people with mental health and substance abuse problems. It was there that he was diagnosed with bipolar disorder and prescribed medication for it.

He now works for a biopharmaceutical company and recently began serving as a peer outreach coordinator for people recovering from substance abuse or mental health issues.

Hobbs said his probation officers didn’t make it clear to him that his sentence included the possibility of early release from probation. So it felt surreal when he got a letter from Judge Layla Zon in December and was off probation days later.

Now he hopes to move to North Carolina, where the cost of living is more affordable and he dreams of starting an organization to help people with health and wellness.

“I’m sitting here probation-free,” Hobbs said, pausing to smile. “It’s a blessing.”

Judge Zon agreed.

“It’s really one of the better things that I get to do as a judge, to reward that person for what they’ve accomplished and for doing what we’ve asked them to do,” she said.

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Kramon is a corps member for The Associated Press/Report for America Statehouse News Initiative. Report for America is a nonprofit national service program that places journalists in local newsrooms to report on undercovered issues. Follow Kramon on X: @charlottekramon.

ATLANTA – LGBTQ+ community members and their allies rallied at Liberty Plaza outside the Georgia State Capitol on Monday as state lawmakers began the 2025 legislative session. Demonstrators voiced their opposition to proposed legislation targeting transgender youth, which Republican lawmakers are prioritizing after similar efforts failed last year.

“We will show up, we will show out. We will not let this happen silently,” one protester declared, drawing cheers from the crowd.

What is Senate Bill 1?

At the center of the controversy is Senate Bill 1, introduced by Republican Sen. Greg Dolezal of Cumming, which would ban transgender girls and women from competing in female sports at any publicly funded institution, including K-12 schools and state universities.

“It’s a good bill for the protection of women,” Dolezal said. “Senate Bill 1 ensures that we have a fair playing field in women’s sports by ensuring that only women are allowed to participate in women’s sports.”

Is SB 1 veiled discrimination?

Critics, however, have called the measure discriminatory and harmful.

Janice Darling, a parent of a transgender boy and a vocal trans rights advocate, described the legislation as an attack on vulnerable youth.

“These people are targeting trans children because they identified it as a winning issue,” Darling said. “I think it’s discriminatory, and I think it’s going to hurt the children. It’s a terrible bill.”

Jeff Graham, executive director of LGBTQ advocacy group Georgia Equality, echoed those sentiments, calling the proposal unnecessary.

“This is institutional bullying of children,” Graham said. “This is a solution in search of a problem. The problem simply does not exist.”

When asked about such criticisms, Dolezal denied the bill unfairly targets trans students. “Our bill doesn’t target anyone. It simply tries to ensure we have a fair and safe playing field for women,” he said.

Georgia’s previous anti-transgender bills

The legislation comes after two similar anti-transgender bills cleared the Georgia Senate last year but failed to pass the House. Lt. Gov. Burt Jones has pledged to prioritize transgender bans in women’s sports during the current session.

“This fight is hard, it will continue to be hard, and we will have to continue to do this together,” said a rally speaker, urging supporters to remain vigilant.

For many advocates, the renewed push for legislation feels personal. Darling stressed the broader impact on marginalized youth.

“You’re really hurting a set of vulnerable people,” she said.

As the debate heats up, both sides are preparing for a contentious fight over the rights of transgender youth under the Gold Dome.

Georgia will have a new quarterback next season. Carson Beck is headed to Miami, leaving Gunner Stockton and Ryan Puglisi to battle it out to replace the two-year starter.

Stockton got the start in the College Football Playoff loss to Notre Dame. Georgia coach Kirby Smart recognized that Stockton did some good things in his first start, in addition to how he helped Georgia in the SEC Championship game.

“Gunner did some good things.” Smart said after the Notre Dame game. “Any time you don’t have pass pro, it’s tough. He had some tough moments out there. When it’s your backside and you can’t see it coming, it’s tough. I thought he tucked it down and ran. He got us out of a couple sacks with his feet and legs, threw the ball away. Did some good things there. But obviously it wasn’t enough with the two turnovers, and we’ve got to be better for sure.”

While pass protection was a major issue against Notre Dame, Georgia’s inability to run the ball was a season-long issue for the Bulldogs. Against Notre Dame, Georgia had 101 non-sack rushing yards.

The Bulldogs averaged 124 rushing yards per game, the lowest of the Smart era. That’s despite having talented running backs in Trevor Etienne and Nate Frazier.

Etienne did miss time this season due to a rib injury and suspension, while Frazier struggled with fumbles. While both had bright moments, the two running backs also know they needed to be better.

Etienne has yet to publicly announce his plans for next season, but the expectation is that he will be back. Whoever is handing Etienne and Frazier the ball, Georgia knows it needs to get more out of its ground game.

“You know, obviously, it is frustrating. We pride ourselves on being able to run the ball,” Gerogia offensive coordinator Mike Bobo said prior to the Notre Dame game. “I could sit here and give you a lot of reasons, but all they’d be is excuses, point blank. You could sit here and say injuries, you can say this, bottom line, excuses.We got to be able to run the ball if we want to continue to win in these playoffs.”

At times, Georgia found success running the football. The wins over Texas came to mind for Bobo, especially after he challenged the offense.

Entering the 2025 season, that challenge will exist once again. Even with Georgia having to replace four starters on its offensive line.

“You know, we got to find ways to move the ball on the ground,” Bobo said. “You know, we’ve got to be committed to the run, whether things are going good or things are going bad, to still run that ball, to help us be balanced and run and pass.”

Etienne had a critical red zone fumble that took points off the board against Notre Dame. And with Georgia’s offense trailing 20-3 before it touched the ball in the second half, it ended up putting an even greater load on Stockton’s shoulders in the comeback effort.

The lack of a consistent running game put a lot on Beck’s shoulders this past season. With Georgia finding itself in more third-and-longs, Beck felt the need to make more plays, which in part led to more turnovers.

While Stockton is a more willing runner than Beck, he had just 16 rushing yards on 6 attempts against Notre Dame. Given the violent hits Stockton also tends to take, the Bulldogs may not be willing to run him as much as one might think.

Heading into 2025 with a new quarterback — most likely Stockton at this point — Georgia knows that the running game will be critical to help elevate the offense around its quarterback.

“We didn’t help him out a lot. He made his plays, and he’s really special,” tight end Oscar Delp said of Gunner Stockton. “Everyone saw a glimpse of what he can do. We didn’t help him out too much. He never doubted his team for a second. This is who he is and the kind of guy he is.”