Junior DA Program Kicks Off In Fulton County

ATLANTA, GA — Sporting their white polo shirts, khaki pants, and sharp navy blue blazers, the students taking part in the Fulton County District Attorney’s Office Junior DA program kicked off the 21st year this initiative has reached scores of middle schoolers around metro Atlanta.

The students on Thursday posted for their group photo with Fulton County District Attorney Paul Howard, Jr. on the steps of the Georgia State Capitol. This latest crop of students is the largest group on record, with 65 middle school students from all over Atlanta and Fulton County.

Another milestone was also observed Thursday: this latest group includes more male students than female students, the DA's Office said. The District Attorney’s Office is partnering with the Fulton County Personnel and Human Resources Department led by Chief Human Resources Officer Kenneth L. Hermon, Jr. Employees and leadership staff from that county agency are helping the District Attorney’s office guide the student participants.

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Over the next several days, students will visit the Atlanta Police Department Training Facility, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Center, Georgia Supreme Court, Fulton County District Attorney’s Office, Georgia Bureau of Investigation Crime Lab, Atlanta Police Department headquarters, Atlanta Police Department Mount Patrol Horse Stables, CNN Center, Fulton County Sheriff’s Office, Fulton County Superior and Juvenile courts, Fulton County Jail, Fulton County 911 Call Center and Fulton County's television station.

They will also attend the 6th Annual Youth Legal and Law Enforcement Symposium at the U.S. Attorney’s Office where they will hear a special presentation on youth and gangs. Also planned is a final field trip to Six Flags Over Georgia and the Junior DA graduation on July 30 where the students will be pinned with a special badge.

The Junior DA program is a crime prevention and education initiative designed to provide middle school students with an overview of the criminal justice system by allowing them to observe its actual operation. The program accepts middle school students from Atlanta and Fulton County public schools.

The students meet twice a week for four weeks, and are exposed to various components of the criminal justice system. They also have a unique opportunity to meet and interact with government officials throughout Fulton County. The goal is to provide students with a basic understanding of the criminal justice system and to familiarize them with how it works.

Images via Fulton County District Attorney's Office