Impact Georgia, Aug. 2010

August 2010 Newsletter
DEPARTMENT HOLDS SEVERAL CEREMONIES FOR WARDENS
Staff and dignitaries celebrated the appointments
of new Wardens at several facilities throughout the state during the month of July. The new Wardens are listed in order from top to bottom beginning with photos on the left: Belinda Davis at Metro State Prison, Tom Gramiak at Montgomery State Prison, Kathy Seabolt at Lee Arrendale State Prison, Tony Howerton at Phillips State Prison, Eric Sellers at Burruss Correctional Training Center, Stanley Williams at Lee State Prison, Gregory McLaughlin at Macon State Prison, Joseph Baden at Calhoun State Prison, and Sheila Oubre at Dooly State Prison. We congratulate them on them on their new positions.
"All of our Wardens are trained, dedicated individuals that have the skills to run safe and secure facilities. - Commissioner Brian Owens

In this Issue:
Warden Change of Responsibilities Governor's Commendation Awards Macon Transitional Center Cindy Schweiger Retirement Pre-Command Graduation Southern States Correctional Awards Cognitive Behavioral Unit
Upcoming Events:
August 10 - Hays State Prison Warden Change of Responsibility Ceremony
August 18-20 - Georgia Probation Association Conference
August 25 - Columbus State University Program Management Program Graduation

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GOVERNOR PERDUE PRESENTS COMMENDATION AWARDS TO STATE EMPLOYEES
Director of Re-entry Services, A.J. Sabree, received a Commendation for Excellence in Customer Service from Governor Sonny Perdue on Thursday, July 15. In his position, he is responsible
for promoting public safety through collaborative partnerships that assist returning offenders to be productive citizens in their communities. He received a Commendation because of his work for the Department, along with the volunteer work he does for the Atlanta Police Chaplaincy Corporation and Formally Incarcerated Persons (F.I.P.). The Governor's Commendations are presented quarterly. Nominations are accepted from agencies from across the state and the university system. In the first photo below from left to right: Office of Customer Service/Office of Consumer Affairs Director, Jim Doyle, Deputy Director of Operations, Planning, and Training, Patricia Smith, Director of Re-entry Services, A.J. Sabree, his wife Sylvia Sabree, Director of Operations, Planning, and Training, Arnold Smith, and Office of Customer Service Director of Continuous Improvement, Katie Chistopherson. In the second photo is Governor Sonny Perdue addressing the winners, with GDC's A.J. Sabree in the middle.

Did You Know?..... During the month of July, approximately 326 Spanish and 119 German language speakers visited our website.

MACON TRANSITIONAL CENTER HOLDS APPRECIATION LUNCHEON
The Macon Transitional Center held its annual Stakeholder Appreciation Luncheon on
June 2, 2010. The event is to recognize volunteers, community sponsors, families of offenders, local agencies, and vendors. Successful re-entry of our offenders would not be possible without the support of these stakeholders. A brief program was followed by lunch. Guest speaker was Assistant Commissioner, Chief of Staff Derrick Schofield. A musical program was presented by the Augusta T.C. resident choir and Augusta T.C. Superintendent Ron Brawner.
Pictured to the left: Assistant Commissioner, Derrick Schofield, speaks to the audience
CINDY SCHWEIGER PRESENTED WITH EAGLE AWARD DURING RETIREMENT CELEBRATION Cindy Schweiger celebrated her retirement at the State Offices South at Tift College on Monday, July 26,
2010. She began her career with the Department of Human Resources in 1979 and transferred to the Department in 1984. She rose through the ranks to Section Manager in 1990 and was promoted to Deputy Director of Human Resources in 1993.
In 2000, she became the first female Director of Human Resources for the Department. As a Director, she had the responsibility of overseeing the well-being of 15,000 employees. Before retiring, she was overseeing 13,000 employees. We thank her for her service with the Department and wish her luck on her future endeavors. Pictured to the right: Assistant Commissioner Derrick Schofield, Cindy Schweiger, and State Board of Pardons and Paroles Chairman, James E. Donald
FIRST PRE-COMMAND COURSE GRADUATION AT STATE OFFICES SOUTH AT TIFT COLLEGE
On June 11, 2010, the Department graduated 25 managers from the Pre-Command Course for
Wardens and Chief Probation Officers. This was the first group to graduate from the Georgia Corrections Academy at State Offices South at Tift College. The Department prepares employees at all levels to be more productive in their roles. The Pre-Command Course is a 40-hour training program offered twice a year and designed primarily for recently appointed Chiefs and Wardens and those managers with potential to effectively command a correctional facility or probation circuit. Pictured to the left: Pre-Command Graduates
SOUTHERN STATES CORRECTIONAL ASSOCIATION AWARDS TWO GDC EMPLOYEES The Southern States Correctional Association (SSCA) held its 41st Annual Training Conference
July 10-14, 2010. During the conference, it recognized three recipients for their outstanding job performance in the fields of Corrections, Probation/Parole, and Juvenile Justice. This year, two outstanding employees of the Georgia Department of Corrections were selected. Barbara Blount, who is currently employed in the Consolidated Banking Unit, was selected as the Corrections Support Service Person of the Year. Kristen Viers, who is currently employed in the DeKalb Probation Office as a Probation Officer III, was selected as the Probation/Parole Officer of the Year. Ms. Viers was recognized for her work with sex offenders and her ability to help remove a child from an abusive home and get them into protective custody. Pictured to the right: Barbara Blount, GDC Consolidated Banking Unit Manager Mitzi Richards, and Kristen Viers
COGNITIVE BEHAVIORAL UNIT LAUNCHES TRAINING VIDEO Risk Reduction Services Cognitive Behavioral Unit is paving the way in terms of effective programming
and implementation with the release of a Moral Reconation Therapy (MRT) training video. This exciting initiative is the latest for the Cognitive Behavioral Unit and Georgia Department of Corrections. The video was created to assist MRT facilitators with providing exceptional program delivery and management of offenders. The video provides detailed examples of how each step in the MRT program is to be presented and processed during group. The video gives useful tips on how facilitators can better manage resistant offenders, and shows appropriate classroom set-up. Through the utilization of this video, MRT facilitators can strengthen their facilitation skills, maintain program fidelity, and help increase the offenders' chances of successful reentry into the community. Employees can access it through the CAPTIVA homepage by clicking OPT > Reentry > Risk Reduction Service > Cognitive Behavioral Unit > MRT training Video. Pictured to the left is the Cognitive Behavioral Unit: Talisha Moody-Carter, Javonne Darling, and Donna Tebought
Commissioner Brian Owens Public Affairs: Joan Heath, Director; Sharmelle Brooks, Managing Editor; Kristen Stancil, Contributor; Peggy Chapman, Contributor Contact: 404-656-9772; www.dcor.state.ga.us