MONROE, Ga. (WRDW/WAGT) -- In Georgia, roughly one in four people leaving the justice system end up right back inside it, and taxpayers pay the price to keep them there.
In Walton County, Judge Mike Burke knows how quickly small mistakes can spiral into bigger consequences.
"Everything is a gateway. ... I'm going to see them more, and it gets more serious ... until it's either prison or they're dead," Burke said.
That's why he starts with civics, not incarceration, as punishment. Living in a community. Being accountable to the people around you.
Georgia's three-year felony reconviction rate is about 27%, according to the Council of State Governments. Each return to jail costs taxpayers roughly $23,000 a year, straining courts, families and neighborhoods.
For years, Burke has used an online platform called ProCivica. Its online courses cover topics like anger management, drug awareness, theft prevention, firearm responsibility, and parenting. The courses are designed not just to check a box, but to teach why behavior matters and how each person fits into the community.
"If I do put someone on the program, I'm very wary: are they working, are they in school? Then I knock down that fine to afford the program," Burke said.
Courts and probation officers can assign classes, track progress and verify community service in real time.
Chip Morris, an advocate for the program, said the one-on-one approach makes a difference.
"When you've got them one-on-one on your platform ... you've got them captive to teach them in a way that's going to stick," Morris said.
Morris said the program is making a difference: after a year, 95% of participants have stayed out of trouble.
"I live in this community. ... I live in Monroe. ... I live in Georgia. I get up every day wanting to improve people's path," Morris said.
Burke said programs like this aren't a cure-all, but they may be one tool to give people a second chance and keep them out of an already overwhelmed system.
In Augusta, a program called the Second Chance Desk helps those in Richmond and Burke County with criminal records clear them. The Second Chance Desk is available on the first Wednesday of every month at the Augusta Public Library.