ATLANTA - Two Hall County officials were recently appointed to the Accountability Court Funding Committee, the state committee charged with determining funding priorities for alternative courts.
Avery D. Niles, Warden of the Hall County Correctional Institution, was one of five members appointed by Governor Nathan Deal. Hon. Kathlene F. Gosselin of the Northeastern Judicial Circuit was one of four appointees by Chief Justice George H. Carley of the Supreme Court of Georgia.
According to the Governor's office, the committee was created by an executive order signed last month and will meet until June of next year. Deal included $10 million in funds for the creation of new accountability courts in his 2013 budget.
"With the high cost of housing non-violent prisoners in our institutions throughout the state, I can't think of a better way to rehabilitate individuals, reduce recidivism, and stretch tax dollars than through the expansion of Accountability Courts," Niles said.
Judge Gosselin commented, "It is an honor to be asked to serve on such a worthwhile committee. My experience with mental health court has proven to be one of the most rewarding of my career, and I am looking forward to the hard work of funding accountability courts across the state."
