The Opening of the Metro Reentry Facility

Metro State Prison Source: Wikipedia

Michael McIntyre founded Michael Kennedy McIntyre & Associates in Atlanta, Georgia, in 1985. The firm focuses exclusively in the field of postconviction representation. Part of the firm’s representation of its clients is to stay educated regarding any facility changes within the Department of Corrections. One of the most recent facility changes through the Georgia Department of Corrections is the opening of the Metro Reentry Facility.

Metro Reentry Facility in Atlanta, Georgia originally opened in 1980 as Metro State Prison, a facility for male offenders. Metro State Prison switched to all female offenders in 1993 until it closed in 2011. As part of Governor Nathan Deal’s Criminal Justice reform platform, Metro State Prison was repurposed and re-established as Metro Reentry Facility. In August 2018, the Georgia Department of Corrections opened the Metro Reentry Facility. The facility is a transitional state prison for offenders scheduled for release within 18 months. The offenders are referred to as returning citizens at the Metro Reentry Facility. The returning citizens receive intensive counseling, vocational training and housing support in hopes that they will increase their chance of success on parole. The program is targeted to offenders who will be released into the Metro Atlanta counties of Clayton, Cobb, Dekalb, Fulton and Gwinnett. The facility utilizes evidence-based practices and community collaboration to address all barriers for the returning citizens’ successful reentry back into society. Currently, the facility houses approximately 355 offenders and the population will increase to 800 when additional dorm renovations are complete.

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Habeas Corpus Petitions in the State of Georgia

 

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Attorney Michael Kennedy McIntyre founded McIntyre & Associates in 1985. Representing clients in post-conviction cases, McIntyre & Associates help people secure release from confinement through a number of post-conviction options including habeas corpus petitions. Habeas corpus, a writ guaranteed by the Georgia Constitution, is a court-issued relief available to people who prove they have been unlawfully detained. Habeas corpus petitions can be filed in extradition cases, pretrial confinement cases, and post-conviction cases, but the vast majority of petitions are filed in post-conviction cases. A post-conviction habeas corpus petition is filed as a civil action in a superior court. The petitioner contends that he or she is held unlawfully as a result of a sentence imposed following a denial or violation of the petitioner’s constitutional rights during a trial, a guilty plea hearing, or sentencing. In Georgia, the venue for hearing the petition is in the county where the petitioner is detained. If the petitioner is detained in another state, the petition is heard in the county where the conviction was imposed.

Restrictions Placed on Offenders After Release

 

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Michael Kennedy McIntyre has practiced as an attorney at Atlanta, Georgia’s Michael Kennedy McIntyre & Associates since 1985. The firm practices exclusively in the field of criminal postconviction representation. In addition to representing offenders who are currently incarcerated, McIntyre & Associates also represents offenders who have been released from prison but have various restrictions placed on their lives.

In the United States, individuals released from prison face a number of legal restrictions, though the extent and precise nature of these restrictions vary from state to state. Convicted felons are prohibited from holding public office in many states. The severity of a person’s offense can determine whether or not they can run for office, and in some states this right is reinstated after a certain period of time, such as one decade after the completion of a served sentence.

Serving on a jury is another activity felons are barred from engaging in in numerous states. Similar to running for office, many states allow an individual to reclaim this right after a predetermined period of time. A few additional restrictions placed on convicted felons include suspension of voting rights and added challenges or a denial of international travel and joining the military.

Any individual who is concerned about the restrictions they may face after serving a criminal sentence, or who would like to learn about alleviating some of these restrictions, should reach out to a local attorney experienced in areas of criminal rights and postconviction representation.

Georgia Court of Appeals and the Standards of Review

 

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Since 1985, attorney Michael Kennedy McIntyre has been representing clients in criminal postconviction matters. Michael Kennedy McIntyre is the owner of McIntyre & Associates in Atlanta, Georgia. Part of Mr. McIntyre’s postconviction practice includes offering expertise on the appeals process in Georgia. Established in 1906, the Georgia Court of Appeals serves as the intermediate appellate court in the state. The court, which includes five divisions and 15 total judges, mandates that appeals presented to the court identify the applicable standard of review. Standards of review refer to the deference a trial court is granted by an appellate court that reviews its decision. These standards are categorized in three areas: procedural errors, questions of law, and questions of fact. Standards involving disputes based on the interpretation of facts by the trial court are typically based on: Arbitrary and Capricious – A standard that typically applies to administrative cases, and determines whether the original ruling was arbitrary or motivated by issues other than the presented facts. Lack of Substantial Evidence – This standard refers to cases in which the lower court ruling was made without sufficient evidence to support it. Clearly Erroneous – A standard that applies to rulings that conflict with the presented evidence.