Goodwill Industries of Middle Georgia and the CSRA (Goodwill) is proud to announce its selection as one of 27 local nonprofit organizations to join the Catalyst Grant Program, an initiative launched by the Urban Institute and the Microsoft Justice Reform Initiative. This program aims to support local communities in using data and technology to advance racial equity and reform in the criminal legal system. The Catalyst Grant Program is more than just a funding initiative; it represents a commitment to leveraging collaboration, innovation, and the power of technology and data for transformative change, especially in areas such as prevention, policing, and prosecution practices.

Goodwill and the other participating organizations have proposed projects using technology to analyze, visualize, and share data to strengthen community organizing, advocacy, and service provision.

Goodwill will collaborate with the Vanderbilt Project on Prosecution Policy (VPOPP) through the Catalyst Grant to establish a data-collection system for the Checks Over Stripes program. This program, launched in partnership with the Office of the District Attorney for the Augusta Judicial Circuit, is a diversion initiative aimed at emerging adults without prior felony convictions. Participants in the program will acquire skills through full-time employment, adult education classes, and career counseling and services. The data infrastructure developed through this grant will be utilized to assess the program's impact, measure its effectiveness, and lay the groundwork for comprehensive analysis and program enhancements to help reduce racial disparities within Georgia's criminal justice system.

“When public safety is your goal, you care less about chasing convictions and so much more about changing lives,” stated District Attorney Jared T. Williams on his inspiration for creating Checks Over Stripes. “The best way to reduce crime is to break the cycle of repeat offenses. Checks Over Stripes achieves that goal by helping young people stay on job sites and out of jail cells.”

"We are deeply grateful for the support and guidance from the Vanderbilt Project on Prosecution Policy (VPOPP) as we embark on the Checks Over Stripes program," says Leah Pontani, Goodwill’s Senior Vice President for Career Development. "This initiative is at the heart of Goodwill's mission to empower individuals and build stronger communities."

The 27 Catalyst Grant Program grantees are located in 18 states and Puerto Rico, deepening the work of the Microsoft Justice Reform Initiative across the country. Information about the selected projects, as well as updates related to the Catalyst Grant Program, are available at: