(Cleveland)- Former Georgia Governor Nathan Deal was the featured speaker at the White County Rotary Club Tuesday. Deal shared with the club about not only his time serving as Governor and 17 years as north Georgia Congressman. but also his personal life after retirement.
One of the highlights of his time as Governor was the reform of the criminal justice system. Deal said it was one of the most far-reaching reforms in our justice system in modern times.
“The results of those reforms are tremendous, they’re positive results. We’ve seen our prison population be about 8,000 below what it was projected to be back in 2013. We have not had to build additional prisons for people going into our prison system. We’ve been able to use that money to do diversionary type programs,” said Deal.
He said the two greatest things that our system needs to be successful in the re-entry of those from prison to civilian population are housing and employment.
Deal also talked about the trip he makes through White County twice a week on the way to Dahlonega where he teaches a Political Science class at the University of North Georgia. The former Governor said he stays busy with teaching a couple of days a week and physical training two days a week.
He left the Rotarians with some words from Ralph Waldo Emerson, “Most men die with their music still in them.” Deal said you’ve got music still in your life no matter how young you are or how old you are, just don’t let it die with you.
By: Dean Dyer | WRWH News
