About the Committee


Since 1995, The Supreme Court's Committee on Justice for Children (J4C) has administered the Court Improvement Project to develop and implement a data-driven plan for continuous improvement in juvenile dependency cases. Under the direction of the Advisory Committee, Staff of the Administrative Office of the Courts collect and analyze data, create reports and provide education for juvenile court stakeholders. Beginning in 2017, the Supreme Court of Georgia expanded the scope of J4C's work to include court improvement in delinquency and CHINS cases, so that now J4C's work addresses all major areas of juvenile court jurisdiction.

Our broadened assignment requires us to (1) assist in the implementation of nationally recognized best practices in Georgia’s juvenile courts; (2) provide child safety, permanency, and judicial process measures for juvenile courts; (3) work toward ensuring placement stability and decreasing time to permanency for children in foster care; (4) work to improve outcomes for children with delinquency and status - offense cases; (5) advocate for improvements in juvenile law and policy; and (6) ensure technical compliance with federal grant requirements.

  • Presiding Justice Charles Bethel, Chairperson
  • Ms. Kim Anderson
  • Representative Mandi Ballinger
  • Commissioner Candice Broce
  • Ms. Emma Brown-Bernstein
  • Director Jerry Bruce
  • Glenene Lanier
  • Ms. Julie Walters

Link to Members’ Bios

  • Judge Lindsay H. Burton
  • Attorney General Chris Carr
  • Judge Stephen Dillard
  • Representative Chuck Efstration
  • Mr. Louis Erste
  • Ms. Laurie-Ann Fallon
  • Ms. Darice Good
  • Judge Neal Brunt
  • Ms. Arleymah Gray
  • Judge Maureen Wood
  • Ms. Danielle Whitaker
  • Judge Britt Hammond
  • Judge Render Heard Jr.
  • Judge Amanda Heath
  • Dr. Sharon Hill
  • Judge Warner Kennon
  • Judge Michael Key
  • Ms. Jennifer King
  • Chief Nealie McCormick
  • Ms. Juliana Lassiter
  • Mr. Steven Reed
  • Mr. Anthony Reeves Stover
  • Representative Mary Margaret Oliver
  • Commissioner Tyrone Oliver
  • Ms. Jacqueline L. Payne
  • Judge Gregory Price
  • Senator Freddie Powell Sims
  • Ret. Judge Juanita Stedman
  • Senator Blake Tillery
  • Mr. Michael Waller
  • Bishop Robert Wright
  • Ms. Jennifer Stein

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