Kaffie McCullough runs “A Future. Not A Past,” a project started in 2007 to throw prostituted Georgia girls a lifeline instead of a jail cell, reports Women’s eNews. It is sponsored by the Atlanta-based nonprofit Juvenile Justice Fund, a private family foundation, and the Atlanta Women’s Foundation. The Georgia Care Coordination treatment program. It was launched on July 1 with $991,000 from the federal welfare program, Temporary Assistance for Needy Families.
“Right now, police all over the state are locking these girls up in hot Southern jails and they’re being criminalized instead of getting the treatment they need,” said Stephanie Davis, policy advisor on women’s issues to the Atlanta mayor. “We finally have the resources to put into place services, refuge and rehabilitation for these kids instead of treating them like little criminals.” So far, eight girls have been enrolled in the program. Georgia Care Coordination brings city and state agencies and service providers into the same room to develop unified case plans.