Impact Georgia, Dec. 2009

THE DEPARTMENT CELEBRATES ITS VETERANS
On Monday, November 9, the Department recognized its Veterans and active duty staff members in honor of Veterans' Day. During the ceremony, Veterans told the stories of the men and women in the military, and an explanation of the formal flag-folding ceremony was provided by Tom Sittnick, Director of the Office of Investigations & Compliance. "We always want to honor those who have served our country," said Commissioner Owens. "Our staff does all they can to make sure those who are deployed overseas know we're thinking of them."

December 2009 Newsletter

Commissioner Owens with the Department's Military Veterans.

OPT Division Director, Arnold Smith, Director of Planning & Analysis, Mark Waldron, Personnel Analyst II, Kerry Anderson, and Office of Investigations & Compliance Director, Tom Sittnick cut cake for Veterans.

ASSISTANT COMMISSIONER DERRICK SCHOFIELD IS KEY NOTE SPEAKER AT NAACP EVENT

The Carroll Country NAACP Reentry Services hosted its Inaugural "Another Chance" Gala on Saturday November 14th at the University of West Georgia campus. The event was hosted to raise funds for NAACP Re-entry Services Program.
The Georgia Department of Corrections and the NAACP Re-entry Program has formed a partnership to ensure successful offender re-entry back into Carroll County and the surrounding areas.
Assistant Commissioner Derrick Schofield delivered the key note address. Other GDC speakers included AJ Sabree, Director of Reentry Services, BJ Blair, Reentry Coordinator, and Lisa Lance, Deputy Director of Probation Operations.

Norman Sims, President Carroll County NAACP, Derrick Schofield, GDC Assistant Commissioner, Bob Jackson, Executive Director Carroll County NAACP Reentry Program, and Narva Farris, Assistant Director Carroll County NAACP Reentry Program

RECOGNIZING OUR MILITARY STAFF: PROBATION OFFICER ELLIS LANHAM

Probation Officer Ellis Lanham has been deployed overseas. He is in the Naval Reserves and has had the priviledge of being the only sailor out of a Company of 544 sailors to be in all three areas of operation listed on his orders Kuwait, Afghanistan and Iraq.
This picture is a tribute to all of our employees deployed overseas. We appreciate all they are doing and the sacrifices they have made for all of us.

Probation Officer Ellis Lanham is photographed with the Veterans Day Memorial in Iraq.

In this Issue:
Veterans Day Ceremony NAACP and Re-entry Services Military Staff Tribute Macon State Prison Macon Probation Officer Family Violence Cartersville Probation Office
Upcoming Events:
December 2 - Quarterly Awards Ceremony December 8 - TOPPSTEP Workshop at GPSTC December 15 - New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary (NOBTS) Graduation December 24/25 - Christmas (Holiday)

MACON STATE PRISON SENDS CARE PACKAGES TO DEPLOYED MILITARY STAFF

As the holidays draw near, thoughts of family and friends come more frequently. The Macon State Prison staff decided to raise funds and purchase items to create gift boxes for staff members currently on deployment to Iraq and Afghanistan. Those deployed include: Sgt. Kerry Bolden, Michael Gaines, PFC Craig Migrant, John Strand II, Cpl. Cody White, and Darrell Joyner.
The gift boxes included items such as shampoo, socks, sun screen, soups, foot powder, cookies and other food items. The facility also conducted a letter drive where staff members hand wrote personal letters of encouragement to our staff members and soldiers. All of the letters were included in the gift boxes along with Christmas cards and a photo of the staff. The facility is thankful for those in the Armed Forces and wants them to know they are not forgotten.

Pictured in the photo are: Warden Rick Jacobs (middle), Office of Investigations & Compliance Director, Tom Sittnick (right of Warden Jacobs) and several Macon State Prison staff members.

Did You Know?
There are 1,834 Corrections employees who are Veterans
or on active duty.
* As of October 2009

MACON PROBATION OFFICER HELPS FBI CAPTURE OFFENDER
Probation Officer Maria Stephenson at the Macon Probation Office recognized a bank robber as being a probationer on her caseload. The robbery occurred on September 21, 2009 and she saw it on the local news that evening. She contacted Crimestoppers immediately. The probation office already had an outstanding probation violation warrant on him.
The offender was on probation for committing robbery at the same bank in January 2004. Once Officer Stephenson recognized the offender and contacted Crimestoppers, he was taken into custody in Hapeville, Ga. on September 23, 2009. His case is currently pending a revocation hearing.
Because of her observations, the probation office was able to assist the FBI in capturing the offender and prevent him from committing future crimes.

Commissioner Brian Owens
Public Affairs: Joan Heath, Director Sharmelle Brooks, Editor Kristen Stancil, Contributor
Contact: 404-656-9772 GDCinfo@dcor.state.ga.us www.dcor.state.ga.us

Probation Officer Maria Stephenson
"WHAT CAN YOU DO" AN INITIATIVE FROM OUR PARTNERS AT THE GEORGIA COMMISSION ON FAMILY VIOLENCE
One out of every four women in Georgia will be abused in her lifetime. Georgia ranks 15th in the nation for the rate at which men kill women in single-victim homicides. While we are making great strides, we still have a long way to go. The Georgia Commission on Family Violence (GCFV) invites others to join in their efforts to change these statistics. Everyone can work to end domestic violence in Georgia. For the six years of the project, the Georgia Domestic Violence Fatality Review Report has repeatedly shown that those experiencing abuse rely on those closest to them for support. This often includes family, friends, coworkers, and members of the faith community.
As part of an initiative to support friends and family, GCFV has placed posters by all of the elevators in the Twin Towers with tips for talking to both someone who is being abused and someone who is abusing. Additionally, if anyone knows someone who is being abused or is abusing, please call the statewide, confidential 24-hour hotline at 1-800-33-HAVEN for support or resources. If you have any questions about domestic violence or would like to display "What you can do" posters in your workplace, please contact GCFV at 404.657.3412.
CARTERSVILLE PROBATION OFFICERS ASSIST LOCAL POLICE IN ARRESTING OFFENDERS
The Cartersville Probation Field Operation's team recently partnered with Bartow County Sheriff's Office in an organized search of probationers. The search warranted the arrest of 13 probationers for drug related offenses.
The sheriff's department was very helpful in assisting in securing the residences and escorting the offenders to jail while the search team continued searching for other probationers.
Cartersville Probation Field Operations and the Bartow County Sheriff's Office will continue to conduct such searches on a quarterly basis.

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Probation Officers from left to right: Doug Silvia, Jill Fisher, Rodney Pena, Todd Wiggins, Justin Portivent, Carrie Hanusiak (not present in photo), Deputy Phil Robinson,
Bill Thrasher, Chris Day (K-9), Jennifer Redding, Nathan Gifford & Jonathan Rogers.