THE OFFICIAL QUARTERLY MAGAZINE OF THE GEORGIA STATE BOARD OF PARDONS & PAROLES Georgia Parole Review Spring 2015 PAROLE OFFICERS TEST BODY CAMERAS PARDON SUCCESS STORY Google Government Transformer OWENS JOINS BOARD OWENS J process when granting pardons and it will require that additional information is made available to the public regarding the Board's decisions. While the Board and in particular the Clemency Division has already strengthened the pardon process and its notification process concerning Board decisions, this new law will continue to build upon those improvements. Provisions of the legislation regarding the release of information on Board decisions will improve the understanding of the important and critical role the Board has within the criminal justice system. My congratulations go to our staff who have accomplished the task of improving our clemency processes. Chairman's Message Historically, the State Board of Pardons and Paroles, Department of Corrections and the Department of Juvenile Justice have each performed community supervision of offenders in Georgia. Each agency accomplishes this mission with success resulting in the respect of our peers nationwide. In 2015, Georgia is embarking on improvements to community supervision of offenders. House Bill 310 has been adopted and will create a new Department of Community Supervision. This new agency will be responsible for supervising offenders from our three agencies. Building upon the already successful supervision models of the three agencies, Georgia will soon have a statewide model of supervision resulting in an even higher level of public safety. The Board's parole officers will soon become a part of this new department and will continue to perform at the same high level that they always have served. While these officers will no longer call the Parole Board home administratively, they will continue to serve this agency and Georgia by protecting the public through superior offender supervision. The Parole Board will be a critical stakeholder and key partner for this new agency while accomplishing our shared mission of public safety. Despite these changes, the Parole Board will share this new department as our own. By name or location, we all work toward meeting the same goals and together we will succeed in making this new community supervision model the best in the nation. Another legislative initiative impacting the Parole Board is House Bill 71. This legislation requires the Board to make additional changes to the notification 2 As we embrace these opportunities as an agency and individually, let us move forward with honor and pride to be a part of a workforce that is excelling each day while preparing for the future; a future of healthy change. I continue to be proud of our personnel who perform at a high level, completing their assignments, every day, serving the citizens of Georgia. The State Board of Pardons and Paroles is a law enforcement agency that is proud to serve. promotions Heather Williams promoted to Assistant Chief Parole Officer in the Dalton District Colleen Mathe' promoted to Master Chief Parole Officer in the Lawrenceville District Susan Patterson promoted to Assistant Chief Parole Officer in the Marietta District William "Jason" Reeves promoted to Assistant Chief Parole Officer in the Jonesboro District Thomas Green promoted to Assistant Chief Parole Officer in the Marietta District Krystle Hunter promoted to Assistant Chief Parole Officer in the Dekalb District Gayla Howard promoted to Chief Parole Officer in the Jonesboro District JOINS BOA Murray Speaks to RD Rotary Club Brian Owens was sworn in as the newest member of the State Board of Pardons and Paroles at the Board's February meeting. Governor Nathan Deal appointed the former Commissioner of the Department of Corrections to the Board effective February 1, 2015. Owens succeeds James Donald on the Board. Donald accepted a position with the University System of Georgia. "I am honored to have this opportunity to continue serving Georgians as a member of the State Board of Pardons and Paroles. I started my career with the Parole Board and know firsthand what a great agency it is as I have worked alongside the Board as commissioner since 2009," stated Owens. "The Board's commitment to public safety is unquestioned," he added. Owens attended his first board meeting February 3, 2015, and was sworn in by Parole Board Chairman Terry Barnard. At the Board Meeting, Chairman Barnard spoke about the addition of Owens to the Board. Barnard says he and Owens will be able to continue their long professional relationship as members of the Parole Board. He noted Owens started his career with parole. "It's an interesting thing that you came as a parole officer making your way up as assistant chief and chief (parole officer)," stated Barnard. At the time that Owens became commissioner of the Department of Corrections, Barnard noted that he (Barnard) was chair of the State Institutions and Property Committee as a member of the legislature. That committee has oversight of the Department of Corrections. Barnard said he and Owens worked closely together on many issues during that time. Board Member Albert Murray says Owens' appointment to the Parole Board is timely. You have the "good skills, good knowledge, and good history of corrections in Georgia and parole in Georgia," said Murray. He added that Owens' appointment will serve the Board and the people of Georgia. "I'm thrilled to be here, honestly," stated Owens. "I had a relationship with my colleagues over here for years, and in some cases, decades. I'm about the field, I'm about the officers, making sure the officers on the frontline have what they need to do the job," added Owens. Owens reflected on his time as a Georgia Parole Officer. "It was not too long ago I was knocking on doors, riding in a personal vehicle, making field contacts, and putting handcuffs on people. So I know what it is you go through out there and I have so much respect for what you go through out there, so hopefully over the next year or several years we'll get to know each other better. It's all about doing the right thing in the field. The administration with Mr. Nail in charge, whom I have full confidence in, will do what it needs to do." On 3/12/15, Parole Board Member Albert Murray spoke to the Rotary Club of Conyers. He was joined by Regional Director Chris Barnett and Conyers Chief Parole Officer Don Pace. Murray gave insight to the parole process and spoke about advances in parole supervision of offenders in the community to include the Board's Virtual Office. 3 COTTON HONO RS MLK State Board of Pardons and Paroles Board Member Braxton T. Cotton paid a visit to his alma mater in January. Cotton was invited to the college as keynote speaker for the school's Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. ceremony. During his visit, Cotton met with both the junior college and prep-school cadets where he shared words of wisdom and pertinent advice on professional growth and development. Cotton is a 2002 graduate of Georgia Military College (GMC) where he earned an associate degree in criminal justice. When reflecting on his educational experience at GMC and the impact it's had on his personal and professional life, Cotton says, "[It] offers great training and 4 mentoring opportunities for young men and women who will one day be responsible for demonstrating leadership equally in both the civilian and military professions. During my time at GMC, I learned the importance of responsibility, accountability and character." In his speech, Cotton said the decisive point for progress made in civil rights in this country was the Civil Rights Act of 1964. "Since 1964, there has been more progress in racial equality than any other time in U.S. history and at its center is Dr. Martin Luther King," Cotton said. Cotton told the cadets to dream but also to have a plan, as did Dr. King. "Dr. King had a DREAM of how he thought things should be; equal treatment for all, regardless of race, color or creed. But not only did he have a DREAM, he formulated a strategy and a PLAN," Cotton said. Cotton says Dr. King enacted that plan with other civil rights leaders which involved nonviolent social change through multiple rallies, boycotts, sit-ins, marches and demonstrations. Cotton says this was a well thought out and planned action to highlight the social injustices of the day. "This was an organized PLAN to achieve the DREAM," Cotton added. GA OFFICERS REC OGNIZED Law enforcement officers from around the state gathered at the State Capitol on March 18th for the first annual "Law Enforcement Appreciation Day." Law enforcement officials were presented with a resolution honoring their work in the Senate Chamber, followed by a special program at the North Wing of the State Capitol. Field Operations Director David Morrison spoke on behalf of the agency and thanked all Georgia law enforcement officers for their dedication and professionalism. Gatherers of the program honored and remembered the six officers that were killed in the line of duty since June 2014 in Georgia. 5 Parole Officers test body cameras to e The Georgia State Board of Pardons and Paroles recently joined the wave of law enforcement agencies now utilizing uniform mounted video recording devices also known as body cameras as a tool to improve public safety. Unlike many police departments and other law enforcement agencies, for the State Board of Pardons and Paroles, the purpose behind the program is not to reduce citizen complaints, address liability issues or to avoid potential litigation. For the Georgia Parole Board, the body cameras will function primarily as a method to capture and record offender interaction information. The Georgia Parole Board has considered and vetted the implementation of this technology and trusts that its use will further advance the agency's mission of protecting the public through making informed parole decisions and effectively supervising offenders. 6 Of the agency's two-pronged mission statement, it is the latter of the two the Parole Board believes will receive the greatest impact and benefit. State Board of Pardons and Paroles Executive Director Michael Nail says, "The use of body cameras is another tool for the officer to utilize as they carry out their mission of enhancing public safety." With the implementation of this technology, the Georgia State Board of Pardons and Paroles has, without question, once again plotted and set a course into unfamiliar and uncharted waters in the field of community supervision. No other paroling authority or community supervision agency currently utilizes this technology in the performance of its day-to-day field operations. "This is another example where we, as an agency, go beyond best practices in our pursuit of next practices," said Nail. A few decades ago, parole officers were required to conduct field contacts with offenders and write their comments on a notepad for each individual interaction throughout the entire day. Upon returning to their desk, the officer would then transfer that information into an offender log book and, hopefully - after a full-day of conducting field visits and addressing offender issues - no pertinent information would be lost in that process. As one might imagine, this practice was extremely time consuming and increased the risk of unintentionally transferring inaccurate information. Later, the widespread availability and use of desktop computers and eventually laptops, tablets and smartphones improved officers efficiency and increased the accuracy and reliability of the typewritten offender interaction information. "We are constantly searching for ways we can become more efficient," says State Board of Pardons and Paroles Director of Field Operations David Morrison. The Georgia Board of Pardons and Paroles believes the use of body cameras to capture and record offender interaction information is the next evolutionary step in the natural progression of quality field supervision. "Our agency has always sought opportunities where we could incorporate the use of technology to advance community supervision," says Morrison. continued on next page... enhance offender supervision.... 7 5 KEY AREAS of enhancement.... The agency anticipates through the use of body cameras it will observe significant enhancements in five key areas of offender supervision: 1 Management & Supervision Managers will have the ability to actually view an interaction as it truly occurred as opposed to relying on an account written solely from the officer's perspective. This key ability will ensure the consistent application of quality offender supervision techniques by providing managers with unique opportunities to coach officers on specific supervision issues and reinforce skill development. Chief Parole Officer Mitch Beddingfield says, "Through the use of this technology supervisors are able to make sure officers are addressing the needs and risks of offenders." Beddingfield added that he's also seen a reduction in the number of false complaints filed against his officers since the agency began using the equipment. 2 8 Training Newly hired officers will benefit greatly from the ability to view highquality video of field interactions performed by experienced parole officers during their nine-week training process. Videos will be used as positive and negative examples of how to properly conduct a field interaction and for issues surrounding officer safety. Traditionally, new officers were restricted solely to role playing scenarios which is the standard method of training for most academies. 3 Offender Reentry Key community stakeholders invested in the successful transition and reentry of offenders such as substance abuse counselors, mental health professionals and faith based partners will now be able to view interactions with the offender directly. The videos will eliminate the sharing of misinformation and disinformation and will allow the aforementioned stakeholders to collaborate with the parole officer to develop or revise the offender's transition plan. 4 Productivity Productivity will be enhanced by the mere fact that officers will not spend as much time typing, handwriting or transposing interaction data. Officers will record the interaction and make simple point and click selections for supervision issues. Interaction quality will be enhanced because the officer is aware he or she is being recorded. 5 Interaction Quality In a television interview with FOX 5 Atlanta, Nail said, " Video interactions will also put an end to the day of the `hi and bye' contact. Without question, officers will be held more accountable for conducting meaningful field interactions with offenders." Officers will also have the ability to routinely review video of their own field interactions as a means of conducting self-assessments. The self-assessments will serve as a powerful quality assurance tool that officers can utilize to improve their individual supervision techniques. Currently, the body camera program is in early stages of implementation. The equipment and data are being field tested and analyzed. Four certified and experienced parole officers have been selected to participate in the pilot program with plans to incrementally increase that number beginning in the near future. When Specialized Parole Officer Shannon Foster was asked how he felt about the idea of a body camera becoming as much a part of his uniform as his taser and firearm, Foster said, "I embrace this change. I believe that the body cameras will help officers as a whole." As with any major shift in an organization's operational practices, this advancement is not without its own set of challenges. One such challenge arises out of the shear volume of recorded video data that will need to be securely stored. With roughly three-hundred sworn parole officers conducting and recording field visits at any given moment; managing, securing and storing that data can be a substantial undertaking. "I'm extremely proud of our team for embracing the utilization of body cameras. They are true professionals who continually strive to seek ways to become even more effective and efficient in the services they provide to Georgia communities." Executive Director Michael Nail "We are currently exploring several "Cloud" options for storage of the videos. The factors we are considering are cost and security. The desired end state is the ability to inexpensively store a large volume of video with encryption appropriated to the content," said IT Director Phil Sellers. In spite of this challenge, progress continues to be made with the implementation of the body camera program and the response from Georgia's parole officers has been overwhelmingly positive. "I'm extremely proud of our team for embracing the utilization of body cameras. They are true professionals who continually strive to seek ways to become even more effective and efficient in the services they provide to Georgia communities," said Nail. Click on the picture below to watch the FOX 5 Atlanta story regarding the agency's body camera pilot. 9 JOINT LAW EN OPERATION Clean Sweep March 18 & 19, 2015, parole officers from the South Metro Parole District joined forces with the College Park Police Department for a joint law enforcement operation. During Operation "Clean Sweep," officers conducted searches and compliance checks on offenders that reside within the city limits of College Park. A total of 37 compliance checks were performed and 4 arrests were made during the operation. Nineteen officers participated in 10 the operation, including 11 parole officers. CBS 46 reporter Will Frampton rode along with parole staff during the operation and chronicled his thoughts, experiences and emotions throughout the night in a story that aired on CBS 46 the following day. You can view Will's report by clicking anywhere within the text of this article. Deep Freeze January 29 & 30, 2015, parole officers from the North Fulton Parole District, South Metro Parole District, and the Metro Region Arrest Team assisted officers from the Atlanta Police Department, the Fulton County Sheriff's Office, and Atlanta City Corrections in a joint law enforcement operation. During Operation "Deep Freeze," officers served outstanding felony warrants on individuals in the Atlanta area. Eighty officers from the various agencies participated, including 23 parole officers. Twelve arrests were made during the operation, including four who were on parole. NFORCEMENT N S "Joint operations are extremely valuable to enhance public safety and develop relationships with local, state and federal law enforcement agencies. The collaborative effort holds offenders accountable and sends the message that all law enforcement agencies communicate on a regular basis." - David Morrison, Director of Field Operations Narco-Lepsey Assured Compliance February 4, 2015, the Lawrenceville Parole Office participated in this joint operation with the DEA Tactical Squad and the Gwinnett County Sheriff's Office. Nine parole officers participated. The operation included serving parole warrants and conducting compliance checks and resulted in the arrest of 11 parolees. Two new warrants were issued as a result of the sweep for new charges. Also as a result of the operation, a parolee's bank account containing more than fifty-four thousand dollars in alleged drug proceeds was seized. Parole officers on January 22, 2015, joined the Emanuel County Sheriff's Office, the U.S. Marshals Service, the Dept. of Corrections' Probation Division and the GBI Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force to check on the county's registered sex offenders. All 60 of the county's registered sex offenders were located including 10 under parole supervision. 11 Google has recognized the State Board of Pardons and Paroles as a "Government Transformer" for its implementation of the virtual office. Google presents this honor to forward-thinking public servants and entities that work to transform government services through innovation with cutting-edge technology. Phil Sellers, the Parole Board's Chief Information Officer, was recently featured on the Google "Government Transformers" site as he outlined the virtual office concept. Sellers explained that the Board closed parole offices and placed officers full-time in their state vehicles, or "virtual offices," in the interest of public safety. GOOGLE GOVERNME "We decided to do away with the brickand-mortar offices and create "virtual offices" using mobile devices and Google Apps, Maps and Chrome. We invested the money we saved on real estate directly into new mobile devices, additional vehicles, and other equipment to help officers keep the community safe," said Sellers. Sellers says parole officers were spending too much time completing paper work and meeting with parolees in the office setting. He added that the parole officer's place is in the community. The virtual office began as a pilot in one parole district in 2012. Today, all Georgia parole officers are able to work in the virtual environment. Parole officers complete all tasks from their vehicle and have increased contacts with parolees in the community at their homes, workplaces, and at treatment programs. 12 Executive Director of Parole Michael Nail says the Board will continue to work to improve public safety through the use of technology. "This is yet another example where the State Board of Pardons and Paroles on behalf of Georgia has risen to the occasion and chose to lead instead of follow. You will find this attitude and discipline throughout the entire agency. We choose to take a leadership role in this arena because we recognize the immense impact current and future technology can have on transforming our business practices and our ability to serve the citizens of Georgia," stated Nail. ENT TRANSFORMER Parole officers now can conduct meetings on-the-go through Google Hangouts and are able to focus on their core job of field supervision instead of sitting behind a desk. The reports they complete in Google Docs are easily accessed by other officers and supervisors, and the crime data can be shared with other public safety agencies. Sellers says leveraging technology to actively supervise offenders directly in the community where they live just makes sense."This allows us to provide better service to the public and to keep parole officers out in the field where things are happening," said Sellers. 13 APPA TRAINING INSTIT VIRTUAL OFFICE PRE At the American Probation and Parole consolidated office space (probation (APPA) 2015 Winter Training Institute and parole); enhanced offender in January, Executive Director of supervision and positive community Parole, Michael Nail presented an relations. Today, all parole officers update on the agency's virtual office operate from the virtual office. concept. Director Nail began his presentation with an overview as to Director Nail says that since his last the importance of virtual offices in the APPA presentation on the Virtual supervision process in Georgia Parole. Office, the agency has shown He cited change in leadership, statewide outcomes reflecting a 13% decreasing budgets and research on increase in face-to-face contacts of community supervision as a few of the higher risk/higher needs cases, 2% reasons that the past process was the increase in acceptable parole making of a "perfect storm." completions and a 2% decrease in parole revocations. Expense One of the driving forces to change comparisons between FY12 and FY14 was a recommendation from the depict a total savings of nearly one Georgia Criminal Justice Reform million dollars as a result of going to Council that stated, "Where potential Virtual Offices. savings are achieved, a portion can be reinvested into those options that Director Nail not only brought the have proved to reduce recidivism and APPA up to date on the process, but he improve public safety. These also revealed the next steps which include...strengthening community include rebuilding the agency's case supervision" (Report of the Special management system; implementing Council on Criminal case management access and report Justice Reform for Georgians, functions in the Agency Portal; November 2011). obtaining and issuing Google Chromebooks to parole officers and The Virtual (Parole) Office concept was conducting periodic reviews and implemented and piloted with the updates of the Virtual Office process. Albany Parole Office in February 2012. Assisting with the APPA presentation Anticipated outcomes included was Scott Maurer, Director of 14 ITUTE ESENTATION The agency thanks Director Nail and his team for their innovative leadership and looks forward to future initiatives as Georgia Parole sets the pace for the nation. Operations Support; Phil Sellers, Director of Information Technology and David Morrison, Director of Field Operations. "I am extremely proud of how our staff embraced this progressive concept," stated Director Nail. "This represents just one more example of an agency culture of not just focusing on best practices, but also next practices," added Nail. pErxojaauenMcgscte"teiuipTccfmnthohericavsicaoysc,euertbrcelsiDecuuiNenpeiltraxtgrseuaeai.lc"lormssteenoopnorbnltfeesensxojouttftsatn 15 PARDON GIVES EX-OFFENDER'S CAREER A "SECOND WIND" Today, Tommy Lowmon, City of Blackshear's Hometown Manager and Economic Development Director, sits behind his desk in an office located just inside City Hall. Numerous awards and certificates highlighting his career achievements and successes decorate the wall to his right. But life hasn't always been this promising for Lowmon. Almost fifteen years ago Lowmon sat in a dramatically different place. In April 2000, Lowmon was seated at the defendant's table in Superior Court of Pierce County facing a judge and a charge of Armed Robbery. The judge would eventually accept Lowmon's guilty plea to the lesser included offense of Robbery by Sudden Snatch. Lowmon was subsequently sentenced to serve five years probation under Georgia's First Offender Act. When he reflects on the circumstances which led to his legal troubles, Lowmon accepts responsibility for his actions and inactions and says, "I was in the wrong place at the wrong time and I didn't report it." He added that this mistake was a definite setback to his life and his hopes of any real future success. A few months prior to the end of his probation, the court adjudicated Lowon guilty and terminated the remainder of his sentence. From that point forward, Lowmon turned over a new leaf and never looked back. He became an entrepreneur and, for several years, owned his own print company which he later sold to pursue other interests. Following the conclusion of his sentence, Lowmon continued to live a life free of criminal activity. After maintaining his current position for several years, Lowmon still desired to advance his professional career even further. He was well aware, however, that his past legal trouble could be a potential setback on the path to continued career success. "I always knew it would probably come back up," said Lowmon. He added that he was very cognizant of his criminal record and the negative impact it could have had on his future career plans. With that probability in mind, Lowmon said, "I wanted to have something positive reflected on the record as well." restoration of firearms rights with the State Board of Pardons and Paroles. After reviewing and considering Lowmon's application, the Board agreed to issue the pardon and to also restore his firearms privileges. When asked what kind of impact receiving a pardon has had on his professional life, Lowmon said, "Each [pardon] the Parole Board grants gives guys a second wind so they can continue to pursue whatever goals they had in life." And with that second wind, Lowmon is running full-speed ahead. In 2013, he served as vicepresident of Georgia's Downtown Business Association and, in 2014, he was elected president. In 2014 he was also selected to serve with the Young Gamechangers. Young Gamechangers is a community improvement group which consists of young business men and women under the age of forty. In spite of all the progress Lowmon has made over the past several years, he's not blinded by the bright lights of his personal successes. He believes it's important to give back through service to his community and he's also sharing his story with other men who find themselves facing similar legal challenges through the faith-based program, Men of the Way Ministries. "I tell them that this is possible. A lot of them don't believe that it's possible. I tell any guys looking to apply for a pardon, just keep the faith because it can happen", said Lowmon. He went on to say, "with this pardon, the sky's the limit." In FY 2014, the State Board of Pardons and Paroles reviewed over 1,040 pardon applications. Of that number, approximately 980 were granted. A pardon is an order of official forgiveness and is granted to those individuals who have maintained a good reputation in their community following the completion of their sentence(s). It does not expunge, remove or erase the crime from an individual's record. It may serve as a means for a petitioner to advance in employment or education. For more information on pardons or restoration of rights, simply click on the photo on page 17. So, in the Fall of 2013, Lowmon decided to step out on faith and make application for a pardon and 16 A pardon is an order of official forgiveness and is granted to those individuals who have maintained a good reputation in their community following the completion of their sentence(s). It does not expunge, remove or erase the crime from an individual's record. It may serve as a means for a petitioner to advance in employment or education. inwlhiafgcPeotiw"ave.En"rievaotn-seicldnTerhguosguB[eomopyotasatmaohlrarsdeydpstoyuLhgenorcercs]aawoyutnnnhmehtdesaadn 17 "COMING HOME" V Preparation through prison More importantly, in-reach is a key however, are the vignettes component of the Georgia of two parole officers and Prisoner Reentry Initiative. four former parolees The vision of the describing their Governor's Office of backgrounds and Transition, Support, and experiences in their own Reentry is to link inmates words. These four with needed resources in successfully returned the community and citizens and Parole Officer prepare them for the Nicholas Lewis and expectations and Assistant Chief Parole experiences they will Officer Heather Williams encounter as they leave tell their stories of the prison and re-enter the challenges, struggles, community. To bolster setbacks, achievements, this vision, the Field and rewards they have Operations Division of the encountered in the Georgia State Board of criminal justice system and Pardons & Paroles has community supervision. produced "Coming Home: They send a powerful An Introduction to message about Community Supervision experiences that are a for Returning Citizens, common thread to all Their Families, and All returning citizens, family Citizens of Georgia." members, officers, and community stakeholders. Designed to illustrate the expectations, goals, and This video is distributed to requirements of parole prison inmates, their family supervision in a members, and the general comprehensive view, public via YouTube, "Coming Home" includes Facebook, Google+, the video footage of actual State Board of Pardons & field visits and Paroles' website, and DVDs informational segments by . Parole Board Field Operations management and staff. 18 VIDEO RELEASE 19 On January 30, 2015, the Parole Training Academy graduated seven senior parole officers as field training officers. The 40 hour P. O. S. T. Field Training Certification Program, delivered by Instructor Jerry Black, is designed to provide parole officers with the skills and knowledge necessary to be effective in their assignment as field training officers (FTO). The FTO in turn, ensures parole officers in the field receive guidance and instruction in properly performing their duties within the communities they serve. parole officers receive guidance and instruction in properly performing their duties within the communities they serve. The program incorporates trainees, field training officers, managers as well as the training academy staff into a working team to attain the program's objectives. All training is designed to be individualized, ensuring every parole officer receives the necessary guidance and skills for them to successfully protect the public through effective offender supervision. "The FTO program pairs up our new officers with highly skilled parole officers (FTOs) who are very knowledgeable in all areas of their job. The subject matter experts (FTOs) are vital in the transitioning of a new officer to a competent parole officer, capable of performing their job safely and effectively," says Jim Sikes, Director of Training for the State Board of Pardons and Paroles. The eight course modules of the FTO Training Program cover the Role of the Field Training Officer; Professionalism and Ethics for the Field Training Officer; Adult Learning; Effective Communication Strategies; Stress Management for the Field Training Officer; Cultural Diversity; Liability for the Field Training Officer and Evaluations and Observations Reports. Sikes says the FTO program ensures that There are twenty highly skilled officers selected to serve as field training officers. They provide practical application training throughout the duration of the program. It is imperative for field training officers to remain experts within their position, therefore they are required to attend quarterly advanced training facilitated by the Parole Training Academy. Training sessions involve practical application of tactical procedures as well as the skills necessary to perform their duties as a leader, instructor, mentor and coach. Graduates are Angela Jackson (Monroe Parole Office); Nathaniel Connor (Carrollton Parole Office); Ubrody Craig (Jefferson Parole Office); Chase Thomas (Gainesville Parole Office); Tammy Wood (LaGrange Parole Office); Thomas Green (Marietta Parole Office) and Courtney Kendrew Thompson (Griffin Parole Office). FIELD TRAINING OFFICERS GR ""I believe as an FTO you have to really be dedicated to the career and the agency. FTOs are viewed as knowledgeable, respectable individuals who are given the task to train officers and to help build their confidence so they can accomplish their duties effectively." - Courtney Kendrew Thompson RADUATE Aliquam euismod commodo nisl, vel luctus lorem fermentum quis 6 "The price of success is hard work, dedication and determination. When we have applied the best of ourselves to the task at hand, we should be commended." Eris McKennon, Director of Human Resources QUARTERLY AWARDS CEREMONY On January 22nd, the agency held its quarterly awards ceremony at central office in Atlanta. During the ceremony, exceptional performers from across the state were recognized for their contributions and dedication to the agency's mission. Chief Parole Officer Colleen Manthe', Assistant Chief Parole Officer Andrew Wheeler, Parole Officer Derek Glasco and Parole Officer Nicholas Mashburn received "Field Operations Employee of the Quarter" awards for their participation in a recent joint task force operation. Support Employee of the Quarter" award for a recent "zero-findings" audit regarding the implementation of the Consolidated Treasury Account Structure (CTAS). Lisa Reid, Dan Nesbitt, Traci West, Constance McCrary, Discel Norris, Traci Watson, Lewanna Tomlinson and Evelyn Smith received the award on behalf of the Budget/Fiscal team. Joe Kuebler received the "Field Operations Employee of the Quarter" award for his efforts towards streamlining the business processes of our Interstate Compact Unit. Budget Director Lisa Reid and Program Manager Reginald Huley received "Employee of the Quarter" awards for their efforts to improve radio communications for parole officers working in rural areas of Georgia. Our Budget/Fiscal Unit received the "Operations Hearing Examiners Scott Reaves and Katie Turner received "Clemency Employee of the Quarter" awards. Congratulations to all of our award winners! 23 Powered by TCPDF (www.tcpdf.org) GEORGIA PAROLE www.pap.georgia.gov The Georgia Parole Review is the official quarterly magazine of the Georgia State Board of Pardons & Paroles and is published by the Parole Board's Office of Communications. For more information on the Georgia State Board of Pardons & Paroles click this text to visit our website.