Henry District Attorney Darius Pattillo was awarded the justice award from the county’s branch of the NAACP.
Pattillo was recognized for the county's pre-trial diversion program and other crime prevention initiatives.
"I believe in a balanced approach," Pattillo told the group during the ceremony at Shiloh Baptist Church in McDonough. "I believe in the DA's office we should have every tool in the tool box. We have tactics and mechanisms to keep dangerous people out of our streets, but we also should try to prevent crime when we can."
Pattillo launched the pre-trial diversion program, which is designed to help rehabilitate non-violent, first-time offenders, shortly after taking office in 2017. The program is an alternative to traditional prosecution and allows defendants to have their charges dismissed by completing a series of corrective programs, the D.A.’s office said.
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