DEPARTMENT OF CORRECTIONS Page 1 News and Facts to Keep You Informed - June 2006 Mission The Georgia Department of Corrections protects and serves the public as a professional organiza- tion by effectively managing offenders while helping to provide a safe and secure environment for the citizens of Georgia. Vision The Georgia Department of Corrections is the best corrections system in the nation at protect- ing the citizens from convicted offenders and at providing effective opportunities for offenders to achieve positive change. We are a leader and partner in making Georgia a safer, healthier, better educated, growing and best managed state. Core Goal A Safer, Healthier, Better Educated Growing, and Best Managed Georgia MAKE THE RIGHT CHOICE, CHOOSE FREEDOM Inmate Chris Sandy was highlighted in the Times Georgian- Carrollton as a part of the Georgia Depart- ment of Corrections Make the Right Choice, Published by the Times Georgian--Carrollton Choose Freedom Program. Ten days after the fifth anniversary of the double vehicular homicide which landed Inmate Sandy in the Corrections system, he addressed Central High School students in Carrollton, Georgia about the consequences of their actions. Inmate Sandy is one of several inmates who participate in the department's community outreach initiative, Make the Right Choice Choose Freedom. This initiative is tailored to the education of at-risk youth on the severity of Georgia's sentencing laws and about their options to live crime free as young adults. This campaign includes print, television and radio public service announcements, offender testimonials and education initiatives. RELAY FOR LIFE For the past two years, both Rivers and Scott State Prisons have participated as a team in the American Cancer Society Relay for Life event. The event was held on April 21 and 22 at Walter B. Williams Recreation Park in Milledgeville. Relay For Life is a fun-filled overnight event designed to celebrate survivorship and raise money to help the American Cancer Society save lives, help those who have been touched by cancer, and empower individuals to fight back against this disease. During the event, teams of people gather at schools, fairgrounds, or parks and take turns walking or running laps. Each team members is responsible for raising $100.00 for the fight against cancer. The Georgia Corrections team exceeded their monetary goal this year by raising a total of $7,552.61. Relay For Life is much more than a walk around a track. It is a time to remember those lost to cancer and celebrate those who have survived. The Georgia Department of Corrections salutes those employees who participated in selfless acts of service at this grand event. EMPLOYEE RECOGNITION WEEK The Georgia Department of Corrections hosted its 3rd Annual Picnic in the Park on Thursday, May 4 at Grant Park in the Pavilion area. The event will began at noon and ended at approximately 4:00 pm. Core Organizational Principles Value Based: Stewards of the Public Trust Embrace Change: Change, Transformation is inevitable GDC staff enjoyed a picnic menu of Hamburgers, Hot Dogs or Turkey Dogs, Chips, Baked Beans, Cole Slaw, Strawberries, Ice Cream and drinks (Soda, Tea and Water). There were also fun and games involved. Events include Basketball, Bingo, a Fitness Walk, Horseshoes and Volleyball. Commissioner Donald shooting a jump shot . GDC staff being led by Claire Pate in a Fitness Walk. GDC staff playing an aggressive game of Volleyball. Business Acumen: Better Business Practice A Learning Organization: People are the Centerpiece Continuation . . . Page 2 News and Facts to Keep You Informed - June 2006 SPECIAL KUDOS GDC at Tift College: A View of the Possibilities . . . To GDC staff who worked diligently to cover the Tift campus tour, residential tour, groundbreaking ceremony, job fair, and all of the planning that went into making these events successful. There were nearly 1,000 in attendance at Tuesday's events including Governor Perdue as well as Mayor Pace and the following board members: Charles Hudson, Bob Jones, Pat Miller, Tom Salter, Robert Vaas, and Ellis Wood. Governor Perdue commended Commissioner Donald for leading change in state government. Mayor Pace hosted the ceremony. Visit our website at www.dcor.state.ga.us Commissioner: James E. Donald Public Affairs Director: Yolanda E. Thompson Managing Editor: Camille Y. Cunningham Photographer: Paul Czachowski Please direct comments or questions to: The Headquarters relocation plans are designed to support all Central Office staff who are making decisions about the move to the new Headquarters site. Part of our continuing effort to manage this Headquarters transition to Forsyth is to provide Corrections staff with an efficient working environment in which Corrections affairs are conducted. The above photos are an example of proposed building plans. Thanks to all of the Central Office staff who shared survey feedback with the Office of Public Affairs and requested more opportunities to tour the city of Forsyth and the site of the Tift Campus; the Department of Corrections sponsored the second site visit on Tuesday, May 23. The beginning of the tour took Corrections staff through economically compatible residential communities. The tour concluded with an escorted tour of the campus at Tift and was followed by the groundbreaking ceremony at the Tift Campus. The Georgia Department of Corrections also hosted a job fair at the Historic Train Depot in Forsyth. Moving the GDC headquarters to Forsyth will bring up to 400 jobs to Forsyth. Positions being recruited include Corrections Officers, Probation Officers, Counselors, Food Service staff, Maintenance staff, and job candidates who are fluent in Spanish. Governor Sonny Perdue broke ground today on a renovation project at the vacant campus of Tift College in Forsyth-Monroe County. Once complete, the GDC will move its five metro Atlanta headquarter locations into the renovated facilities in Forsyth, Georgia. Governor Perdue was joined today by officials from the Forsyth-Monroe County Chamber of Commerce, the city of Forsyth, GDC and members of the Board of Corrections. The new Forsyth headquarters will be closer to the department's geographical center of operations. The GDC has five prisons located north of Atlanta and 35 prisons south of Macon. Office of Public Affairs 2 Martin Luther King Jr. Dr. East Tower, Suite 864 Atlanta, Georgia 30334 Phone: 404-656-9772 Fax: 404-656-6434 Email: GDCinfo@dcor.state.ga.us Renovations of the campus will begin in fall 2006. Governor Perdue included $7.5 million in his 2007 budget for design and abatement planning for the renovation project. Final consolidation of the GDC headquarters will occur in 2008 and 2009. Pictured above are: (left to right) Sen. Ronnie Chance, Rep. Robert Ray, Sen. Cecil Stanton, Commissioner James Donald, Governor Sonny Perdue, Rep. Jim Cole, Harold Carlisle, and Mayor James Pace.