Georgia parole review [Summer 2016]

GEORGIA PAROLE REVIEW ISSUE 03 /Summer 2016

Barnard, Mills continue as Chairman, Vice Chairman

Jonesboro Victims
Visitors' Day

Murray retires leaving a legacy of service
A High School Graduate &

Bunn is Georgia's
newest Board
Member

Work Release

Inmates

Receive

Parole
It's a public parole process
Find out more about the parole process.
What do the Board Members consider when deciding parole? See page 7; It's not a secret.

JACQUELINE BUNN, ESQ., IS DEAL

APPOINTEE TO THE BOARD

Jacqueline Bunn has joined the State Board of Pardons and Paroles as one of the five voting members. Bunn, the former director of the Criminal Justice Coordinating Council (CJCC), began work on the Board, July 1, 2016. "I feel like I've come full circle," stated Bunn. "I started my career as an attorney representing the Parole Board in civil rights matters and I'm excited to be a part of the criminal justice process. Public safety will always be at the forefront of my mind in every decision." As Governor Deal stated, Ms. Bunn brings a "myriad" of experience working directly with the criminal justice system. Bunn is licensed to practice law in all of the state and federal courts in Georgia and New Jersey. She has handled hundreds of cases involving the Department of Corrections and the State Board of Pardons and Paroles in state and federal courts, from the trial level through the appellate process to the United States Supreme Court. Parole Board Chairman Terry Barnard says the diversity among board members has always been one of the Board's defining qualities. "Governor Deal's choice with the appointment of Jacqueline Bunn further enhances board strengths. As a member of the legal community, Jacqueline brings a valued prospective along with many life experiences directly related to Georgia's criminal justice system and her passion for crime victims," Barnard said. Bunn says, "It was wanting to do something where I felt I was really making a difference," that led her to taking a position with the Georgia Attorney General's Office in 1997. "I wanted to impact the community." It was also at the AG's Office where, as legal counsel for the state, she helped defend the Parole Board before the U.S. Supreme Court. In Garner v. Jones, the state prevailed as it defended the Board's policy of setting off parole reconsiderations from one to eight years after denying parole to an offender serving a life sentence. The inmate alleged in his lawsuit that the board policy was keeping him in prison longer, however the Court ruled that it was constitutional for Georgia to have such a policy. Bunn's career includes being the deputy director of legal services for the Department of Public Safety and most recently serving as the Executive Director of CJCC. She learned of the many services the state provides crime victims at CJCC and says the victims compensation fund paid for by perpetrators of the crime, is a good way to look at how offenders can give back to the people they've harmed. As a member of the Parole Board, Bunn sees her role as, "Gatekeeper for public safety." "If a person is going to be leaving prison, what is the safest way to transition that person back into society? Supervision can help ensure that transition is smooth. In the end we all want punishment, we want justice, if you're looking at reentry as the state is taking a hard
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look at now, I think our role is to try to have successes and not failures. At the end of the day if they can become productive members of society, that's a win for everybody."
Access a complete bio at https://pap.georgia.gov/ jacqueline-bunn-esq.

Parole Review/Summer 2016
Jacqueline Bunn brings a wealth of criminal justice experience to the Parole Board. As a practicing attorney, Ms. Bunn has represented both the Board and the Department of Corrections, at both the state and federal level. In leading the Criminal Justice Coordinating Council as executive director, she ensured that victims of crime receive victims' compensation funds.

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Parole Review/Summer 2016
Burruss High School Graduation
Parole Board Chairman Terry Barnard delivered remarks to the Dept. of Corrections' first high school graduation of state inmates. The graduates in late June at the Burruss Correctional Training Center comprised the first male class receiving their high school diplomas in lieu of a GED.
Lifers Learn More About the Parole Process
Executive Director of Parole Chris Barnett, Clemency Director James Williams and Field Services Director Rick Jacobs joined Board of Corrections Member Andrea Shelton during a presentation to the Lifers Group at Burruss Correctional Training Center In June. Most inmates want to know what they can do that they aren't already doing in order to be paroled. Barnett and staff told the group the Board wants to see continued rehabilitation including program completions and prison conduct.
Work Release as a Path to Parole
Also in late June, parole staff visited one of the 13 Dept. of Corrections Transitional Centers (TC), the Coastal TC in Savannah. The Parole Board can recommend work release for inmates and can make successful completion of a TC program a prerequisite for parole. However, the Parole Board does not have the authority to place a state inmate in a Dept. of Corrections' program. That authority, the placement of inmates in programs, rests with the Dept. of Corrections.
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INMAT

TES SUCCEED

& GO HOME State Inmates paroled after
improving themselves

The Parole Board is looking for offenders who are ready

to be paroled, not just those wanting to leave prison. That was the message from parole officials to state inmates serving with the Department of Corrections. Success and public safety depend on it. At the Lee Arrendale State Prison high school graduation on June 30, 2016, Executive Director of Parole Chris Barnett told the graduates that the Parole Board is looking for offenders who are ready to return and contribute to their community, and not offenders just wanting parole. Barnett stated, "Education plus opportunity equals success!" It was then, that Parole Board Member Brian Owens presented an unsuspecting Bailey King with a parole certificate. King had just received her high school diploma during the Department of Corrections' program. Parole Board Chairman Terry Barnard and Exec. Director

Company employs an average of about 25 state inmates. The public/private partnership between the Department of Corrections, the Parole Board and area employers provides employment opportunities for inmates transitioning to the community. Inmates learn skills and gain experience that will assist them in a successful reentry. Chairman Barnard thanked Chris Benson, General Manager of California Cartage Company for being the state's partner in creating successful returning citizens. Benson says many offenders, "need a chance." At Coastal, speaking to the inmates at the center, the message from the Parole Board was clear. "If you're not working, you're probably not going home," stated Barnard. Barnett said, "There are many who would like to be in your seat."

of Parole Chris Barnett visited the Coastal Transitional

Center in Savannah on June 21st and awarded two

residents with parole certificates.

Many area employers provide a great transition opportunity for inmates at the Department of Corrections' Transitional Center. California Cartage

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State Board of Par

barnard,
mills lead
parole
Terry E. Barnard was re-elected chairman of the Parole Board for Fiscal Year 2017. Barnard began serving his third consecutive one-year term on July 1, 2016. Vice Chairman James Mills was re-elected and will continue to serve in this role for a third consecutive term. It is the first time in more than a decade that a member has served more than two consecutive terms in a leadership position. "Thank you for your confidence," Chairman Barnard stated upon being re-elected. Barnard's re-election as chairman marks the first time that a chairman has been elected to more than two consecutive one-year terms since Milton "Buddy" Nix Jr., served four years from 2002-2006. Vice Chairman James Mills in nominating Barnard noted his "excellent" leadership over the past two years.
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The Board Members are Braxton Cotton, a former State Trooper and CJCC Director, Brian Owens, former Corrections Commissioner, Chairman Terry Barnard, a former legislator and a career in banking and finance, Vice Chairman James Mills, a former legislator and a businessman and Jacqueline Bunn, an attorney and former CJCC Director.
"The last couple of years, we've seen a lot of transition. He's provided that necessary leadership," stated Mills. "It has been no easy task to be chairman. Yet he has done that in an excellent way and I just think it would serve this board well and this agency well for you to continue to be our chairman this coming year." Chairman Barnard has guided the Parole Board through a period of transition that has included the move of parole supervision to the Department of Community Supervision and other legislative changes. Under his leadership, the board has also adopted policy changes that have improved the agency's functions and the parole decision making process.
"I want to thank our parole staff for their dedication
and hard work that has led us through this period of
transition," Barnard said. "Together the Board and
staff have created a stronger board and agency, to

rdons and Paroles

When does the board meet and why?
The Parole Board does not meet to consider parole cases. Case decisions are made by the Board Members by individually reviewing the offender's parole file and determining whether to grant a tentative parole month. Learn more at www.pap.georgia.gov. The Board meets on a regularly scheduled monthly basis, usually the first Tuesday of the month to discuss and act upon changes in rules, policies and procedures, and for presentations. The Board also meets when a condemned inmate is seeking executive clemency and a commutation of the death sentence.

transition," Barnard said. "Together the Board and statement; prosecutor/judicial statements;

staff have created a stronger board and agency,

legal investigation including details/

ensuring public safety through careful, data-driven circumstances of the crime(s); parole

parole decisions. We will continue on that path." Barnard says the board continues to engage community stakeholders and criminal justice partners in what is a public parole process in order that the best possible parole decisions are the

guidelines recommendation if applicable; inmate progress reports; inmate interviews if applicable; program completions/failures; prison conduct; inmate disciplinaries for

outcome.

prior three years; amount of prison

THE PUBLIC PAROLE PROCESS

sentence served; inmate's mental health

What do the members consider

status/progress; probation after prison;

when determining who gets paroled? If the case is a guidelines case,
a recommendation is sent to the Board regarding the time the offender should serve prior to parole. Because the Board

offender's age at crime commit date; prior parole considerations; number of prior felonies; prior revocations; prior incarcerations; personal history statement;

Members have constitutional authority parole release plan.

and discretion to determine parole, the For more: https://pap.georgia.gov/parole-

following is information they may

consideration

consider when determining if someone

receives parole:

Aggravated circumstances; victim impact 7

VICTIMS VISITORS' DAY
For the Crime Victim
The Parole Board's goal through conducting Victims Visitors' Days is to register crime victims with the Georgia Office of Victim Services and provide the opportunity for every registered crime victim in Georgia to sit down face-to-face with a Parole Board Member or a member of the parole staff to discuss the offender's parole status and the impact of the crime on the victim.

Parole Review/Summer 2016
Jonesboro is the largest ever!!
Assistance for the victim
The Parole Board and the Georgia Office of Victim Services conduct Victims Visitors' Days in conjunction with the local Victim-Witness Assistance Programs. Victims who attend are able to receive offender parole status information and victims previously not registered with the office are able to register. A registered victim receives notification when the Board is considering a parole release.
Jonesboro draws more victims
According to the Georgia Office of Victim Services, the Jonesboro Victims Visitors' Day drew 223 victims of crime, the most of any previous event conducted. This was the Board's 25th Victims Visitors' Day since 2006. The Board has visited 17 different Georgia communities meeting with more than 2,800 crime victims.
Contact us
Contact the Parole Board through the call center at 404-656-4661 or via email at webmaster@pap.ga.gov.
To register as a crime victim or to learn more about services contact the Georgia Office of Victim Services at 1-800-5939474.

Parole Review/Summer 2016

Victims have an open door to the Parole Board

"We received information on what goes into the Board's decisions and we're satisfied with that." - Levi Simon

G eorgia crime victims were honored this past April in Jonesboro. The Victims Visitors' Day turned out to be the largest ever as the Parole Board met with 223 victims and family members. It surpassed all other previous events with the number of victims seen by the Board in one day. Following an opening ceremony, the Board conducted face-to-face meetings throughout the day with crime victims. The victims shared their feelings, concerns and information with the Board about the impact of the crime that had been committed against them or their loved ones. Crime victim Levi Simon Jr. says he's grateful the Parole Board Members take time to sit down and listen to victims. "We feel great. We feel we have important information about the defendant that we didn't have before. That allows us to sleep better. We received information on what goes into the Board's decisions and we're satisfied with that," said Simon. Shiela Simon added, "When something that tragic
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happens in your life you seek information that helps you decide what you can do for yourself and for others. That's important because it can happen to anyone." The Simons met with Board Member Brian Owens. Information given to the Board in these confidential meetings is added to the parole case file of the offender. The Simon's 17-year old son Levi was killed in 1998 while attending a party in Decatur. Donzell Johnson was convicted of murder and sentenced to life in prison but with parole eligibility. Johnson was denied parole in 2012; however the Board is mandated by law to reconsider him in the future. During the opening ceremony, Parole Board Chairman Terry Barnard told the victims that a primary part of the Parole Board's mission is to protect victims' rights. Barnard says the Board goes beyond what the law requires regarding notification to victims if parole for an offender is being favorably considered.
"We choose to take a proactive approach. In 2014,

Parole Review/Summer 2016

Levi and Shiela Simon

Victims are notified
Through the Georgia Office of Victim Services, registered victims of crime are notified as the Board considers parole for an inmate. The Parole Board wants the victim's information and input and seeks to inform victims about the parole process. Victims should be registered and update their information with the Georgia Office of Victim Services any time they change addresses or contact information. The Board wants all victims registered and is working toward that goal.

"We choose to take a proactive approach. In 2014, the Board instructed the Georgia Office of Victim Services to do extensive searches to make sure all victims who want to be registered, are registered," stated Barnard. He says the Board has made every effort to register crime victims if the offender is parole eligible. "It is our goal to meet with a crime victim face-to-face in a private setting where the victim can leave with the confidence that their interests and their experiences are being heard. Our goal is to provide an opportunity for every crime victim in this state to have an audience with at least one board member prior to final parole consideration." Clayton County District Attorney Tracy Graham Lawson told the audience of victims that they are the number one priority. "We believe it is so crucially important to keep in contact so they (victims) don't feel like they're not being heard. Today is so wonderful because they are going to be heard by the Parole Board and the people that run the

Pardons and Parole department so they can have input into whether or not the person that hurt them is paroled," stated Lawson. The Parole Board and the Georgia Office of Victim Services conducted the Victims Visitors' Day in conjunction with the Clayton Judicial Circuit VictimWitness Assistance Program. Registered crime victims are served through the Georgia Office of Victim Services. Crime victims who attend a Victims Visitors' Day are able to receive offender parole status information and register if not previously registered. The April 19, 2016, Victims Visitors' Day was held at the S. Truett Cathy Professional Learning Center in Jonesboro. For more information about the Georgia Office of Victim Services, call 404-656-6872. For Parole Board information visit www.pap.georgia.gov or call 404-657-9450.

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Parole Town Hall,
Exec. Director of Parole Chris Barnett - where we are & where we're going
June 30, 2016, marked the end of the fiscal year and the one year anniversary of our new agency mission. The transition of field supervision to the Dept. of Community Supervision was successful and the two agencies continue to operate independently, but together as one, enhancing public safety. This past year of operations was focused on collaboration with our stakeholders in criminal justice and the community. We are continuing a process of enhancing our operations to ensure we as an agency continue to produce the best possible outcomes for public safety and Georgia's citizenry. We are diligently working to educate and inform all stakeholders of the Parole Board's critical role in Georgia's criminal justice system. It is essential that the Board's mission and vision are embraced and understood to achieve the true benefits envisioned by the amendment to the Georgia Constitution that created this great agency. Our core mission is to protect the public, protect victim rights, and provide offenders with opportunities for positive change. We continue to engage our stakeholders and elicit their active participation in the parole process. The more informed stakeholders are about parole in Georgia and become actively engaged in the process, it will serve to strengthen the Board's decision making abilities. Each employee of the State Board of Pardons and Paroles shares an important role in achieving the mission of the Board and ultimately keeping Georgia safe. As we move into FY 2017, the Board will continue to engage our staff and stakeholders, and together we will maintain and strengthen the nation's leading paroling authority, the Georgia State Board of Pardons and Paroles. - Chris Barnett, Exec. Director

EMPLOYEE SERVICE

The following employees received recognition for their years of state service:

James Forrest - 5

Laura Weaver - 15

Kathryn Alexander - 10

Karen Autrey - 20

Nina Burgess - 10

Jenna James - 20

Quinton Calloway - 10

Solomon Barge - 25

LaQuinta Flowers - 10

Cynthia Elmore - 25

Steve Hayes - 10

Doyle Moulder - 25

Alytia Simpson - 10

Carolyn Brown - 30

Portia Taylor - 10

Lisa Ann Densmore - 30

Lewanna Thomlinson - 10

Brenda Hobbs - 30

Annie Avornyotse - 15

James R. Williams - 30, "Bubba"

Latarris Burney - 15

Dixie Carter - 15

Matthew Nesbitt - 15

Kenya Walker - 15

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, July 21, 2016

Parole Review/Summer 2016

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"This is a better place to live and we are greater people because of Commissioner Murray."- Justice Benham
Friends, colleagues, and relatives of Albert R. Murray filled the State Senate
Chambers at the Georgia State Capitol on June 29, 2016, as the former Parole Board Chairman retired from state government. Murray's long and distinguished career began with his work in his native state of Tennessee as a counselor in the early 1970's. He was promoted to assistant commissioner for the departments serving children and juveniles. He held that post for 16 years. A bold step in anyone's career followed when he left his home to take the job as the first commissioner of the Kansas Juvenile Justice Authority, a new agency. From 1997 - 2003, Murray worked to
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Parole Review/Summer 2016

ALBERT R. MURRAY

RETIRES

More than 40-years of service in four states; Tennessee, Kansas, Alabama and Georgia.

What they said -

build the foundation of a new juvenile system for the state of Kansas. From 2003-2004, Murray served with the Alabama Department of Corrections as a deputy commissioner. Fortunately for the state of Georgia, Gov. Sonny Perdue was looking for a juvenile justice commissioner. In 2004, Murray received the appointment and continued in the position until his appointment to the State Board of Pardons and Paroles in May of 2010. Murray left the Dept. of Juvenile Justice as the longest serving commissioner for that agency in Georgia's history. Among many accomplishments and improvements, as DJJ Commissioner, Murray ended 11 years of federal oversight of the system. Murray's leadership abilities were immediately tapped at the Parole Board, as he was elected by his colleagues on the board as vice chairman. After serving two years in this capacity, Murray was then elected chairman, serving in that capacity from 2012 - 2014.

"This man exemplifies what it means to be a 'true' public servant." - Dr. Jabari Simama - President, Georgia Piedmont Technical College "He's had that (master's) touch that's changed the lives of young people; changed the lives of young people who have been involved in crime; he's changed the lives of the entire community." Justice Robert Benham - Georgia Supreme Court "This man has been a true loyal servant of the state; a man who votes his principles." - Chairman Terry Barnard Jim Lientz, Chief Operating Officer for Gov. Perdue recounts
bringing Albert Murray to Georgia
Lientz to Perdue - "We've got the guy (juvenile justice commissioner); Perdue - "We have others to interview." Lientz - "No governor, we have the right person." "It was a good day when the state of Georgia hired Albert Murray to become the commissioner of juvenile justice." Jim Lientz

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State Board of Pardons and Paroles

State Board of Pardons and Paroles

State Board of Pardons and Paroles
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.