Doug Ammar

Douglas B. Ammar is the Executive Director of Georgia Justice Project (GJP), where he has served since 1986—first as a volunteer and staff attorney, and as executive director since 1995. Under his leadership, GJP has become a statewide leader in holistic criminal legal services and reentry support, expanding from a staff of fewer than 10 to over 40 and growing its budget from $200,000 to more than $4 million annually.

Doug pioneered Georgia’s first Criminal Records Services Program, Expungement Summits, and Second Chance Expungement Desks, while launching jail and prison reentry initiatives that remove legal barriers like stale warrants and suspended licenses. In 2014, he established a Volunteer Lawyer Program, which now engages over 250 active volunteers.

Doug has played a key role in advancing 24 changes to Georgia law, including probation and record sealing reforms, and was instrumental in the state’s “Ban the Box” initiative. He regularly builds bipartisan coalitions to move bold, justice-centered policies forward.

A sought-after speaker, Doug has presented at Harvard, Fordham, the Department of Justice, and restorative justice conferences worldwide. His work has been featured in Forces for Good and legal publications including Transforming Justice and the Fordham Urban Law Journal.

He is a recipient of numerous awards, including the 2025 Ben F. Johnson Jr. Public Service Award, the ADL’s Tuttle Jurisprudence Award, and the Urban League’s Man of Empowerment. Doug holds degrees from Davidson College and Washington & Lee University School of Law.