(The Center Square) — A judicial committee has awarded grants totaling more than $15.3 million to 24 Georgia judicial circuits.
The latest tranche is the second and final award cycle of American Rescue Act Plan funding for the 2023 calendar year. The Judicial Council of Georgia Ad Hoc Committee on ARPA Funding announced the awards.
Most of the grants will go toward courtroom audio-visual equipment upgrades.
“The delays in start-up we saw during the first year of the program seem to have subsided although hiring challenges continue to exist in various circuits across the state,” Supreme Court of Georgia Chief Justice Michael P. Boggs, chair of the Judicial Council and the ARPA Committee, said in an announcement.
“Despite the challenges, I’m very proud of the work our judges and court personnel are making throughout the state in successfully implementing their grant-funded case backlog plans,” Boggs added. “We look forward to the support and efficiencies the audio-visual equipment modernization will provide to move cases faster and without technical delays and am pleased to see the thoughtful and planned responses to this opportunity.”
In October 2021, Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp, a Republican, announced up to $110 million in ARPA funds to address backlogs of court cases, especially those involving violent felonies.
Of the two dozen circuits receiving grants, two are first-time applicants and 22 applied for additional funds for an existing award. With the latest tranche, 45 of Georgia’s 50 judicial circuits have received grants since the program began.
In November, judicial officials awarded $39.4 million to 37 judicial circuits. In 2022, more than $44.1 million in grants were awarded to 42 of the state’s 50 judicial circuits.
American Rescue Plan Act Funding CY 2023 Awards
| Circuit | CY 2023 Cycle 1 Award Amounts | CY 2023 Cycle 2 Grant Requests | CY 2023 Cycle 2 Award Amounts | CY 2023 Cumulative Awards |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Budget as approved by Committee | $39,476,327 | $15,371,004 | $15,371,004 | $54,847,331 |
| Alapaha | ||||
| Alcovy | $266,384 | $805,000 | $805,000 | $1,071,384 |
| Appalachian | $1,710,892 | $404,403 | $404,403 | $2,115,295 |
| Atlanta | ||||
| Atlantic | $1,515,207 | $925,527 | $925,527 | $2,440,734 |
| Augusta | $2,000,000 | $500,000 | $500,000 | $2,500,000 |
| Bell-Forsyth | ||||
| Blue Ridge | $97,290 | $1,315,931 | $1,315,931 | $1,413,221 |
| Brunswick | $993,314 | $1,140,350 | $1,140,350 | $2,133,664 |
| Chattahoochee | $1,977,991 | $99,336 | $99,336 | $2,077,327 |
| Cherokee | $1,087,538 | $1,087,538 | ||
| Clayton – Cycle 2 application withdrawn | ||||
| Cobb | $2,000,000 | $2,000,000 | ||
| Columbia | $1,011,758 | $353,000 | $353,000 | $1,364,758 |
| Conasauga | $239,582 | $150,000 | $150,000 | $389,582 |
| Cordele | ||||
| Coweta | $1,999,801 | $500,000 | $500,000 | $2,499,801 |
| Dougherty | ||||
| Douglas | $894,830 | $894,830 | ||
| Dublin | $607,260 | $607,260 | ||
| Eastern | ||||
| Enotah | $1,999,662 | $1,999,662 | ||
| Flint | $1,370,631 | $1,370,631 | $1,370,631 | |
| Griffin | $1,135,685 | $1,035,540 | $1,035,540 | $2,171,225 |
| Gwinnett | $1,999,792 | $499,998 | $499,998 | $2,499,790 |
| Houston | ||||
| Lookout Mountain | $625,661 | $625,661 | ||
| Macon – Cycle 2 application pending | $1,246,466 | $1,246,466 | ||
| Middle | ||||
| Mountain | $364,080 | $880,987 | $880,987 | $1,245,067 |
| Northeastern | $1,988,000 | $512,000 | $512,000 | $2,500,000 |
| Northern | $669,069 | $669,069 | ||
| Ocmulgee | $242,595 | $448,126 | $448,126 | $690,721 |
| Oconee | $982,839 | $982,839 | ||
| Ogeechee | $1,418,082 | $611,186 | $611,186 | $2,029,268 |
| Pataula | $132,257 | $132,257 | $132,257 | |
| Paulding | $1,298,033 | $364,441 | $364,441 | $1,662,474 |
| Piedmont | $62,530 | $62,530 | ||
| Rockdale | $2,000,000 | $2,000,000 | ||
| Rome | ||||
| South Georgia | $213,248 | $659,787 | $659,787 | $873,035 |
| Southern | ||||
| Southwestern | $332,816 | $332,816 | ||
| Stone Mountain | $2,000,000 | $2,000,000 | ||
| Tallapoosa | $960,239 | $960,239 | ||
| Tifton | $163,603 | $16,753 | $16,753 | $180,356 |
| Toombs | $499,457 | $430,000 | $430,000 | $929,457 |
| Towaliga | $643,998 | $643,998 | ||
| Waycross | $904,836 | $1,207,971 | $1,207,971 | $2,112,807 |
| Western | $1,323,789 | $1,007,780 | $1,007,780 | $2,331,569 |
Table: By T.A. DeFeo | The Center Square contributor Source: Judicial Council of Georgia Administrative Office of the Courts Created with Datawrapper
By T.A. DeFeo | The Center Square contributor
