Impact Georgia, Sept. 2011

Headquarters Relocation Complete with the Fleet Ribbon Cutting Ceremony By Gwendolyn Hogan

Official Ribbon Cutting Party including Commissioner Owens, Mayor Howard, County Chamber Chairman Ham, Commissioner Chairman Vaughn, General Donald, State Representative Robert Dickey, State Representative John Paul Holmes, Fleet Director Turner and ECS Director Latimer

Left to Right: Mayor Tye Howard, Commissioner Brian Owens and Fleet Director Frank Turner

On August 10th, the Department of Corrections held a Ribbon Cutting Ceremony for Fleet Services.
"I am happy to announce that the move of Fleet Services completes our relocation to the heart of Georgia," stated Commissioner Brian Owens.
DOC manages the third largest fleet with more than 1900 vehicles in the state, behind the DOT and UGA.
Division Director of OPT Arnold Smith opened the ceremony by introducing Fleet Director Frank Turner, Keynote Speaker Forsyth-Monroe County Chamber Chairman Connie R. Ham, and Welcoming Remarks Speakers City of Forsyth Mayor Tye Howard and Commission Chairman

James Vaughn.
An overview of the 13 bays at Fleet was conducted by Fleet Director Turner. He discussed the services Fleet offers which range in automotive, express oil, brake & wheel alignment, engine & transmission, diesel repair, washing & detailing, body repair & paint, and welding among other services.
Fleet's future plans include the implementation of the following three programs: Live Works, Work Ready, and Vehicle Preventative Maintenance.
Live Works will increase the number of resident inmate mechanics working at the facility. Work Ready will help offenders gain ASA Certifications, help Transitional Center offenders receive pay and develop an effective marketing plan for

hiring ex-offenders.
Vehicle Preventative Maintenance Program will help reduce breakdowns and costs for Fleet.
The ceremony continued with remarks from Mayor Howard and County Commission Chairman Vaughn.
Chairman Vaughn remarked how the deal between Monroe County and the DOC to bring the Department to Forsyth has let the state know that "everything does not have to be done in Atlanta". He applauded the DOC for making the decision to expand in Monroe County.
Mayor Howard followed Chairman Vaughn's opening remarks by showing his appreciation to the Department of Corrections.

"The whole Department of Corrections is a very beneficial partner and neighbor to all of us," stated Mayor Howard.
Chamber Chairman Connie R. Ham served as the Keynote Speaker and discussed the relationship between the City of Forsyth and DOC.
"We are gathered here today to celebrate yet another Department of Corrections' success and to honor those who have made it possible," stated Chariman Ham.
Commissioner Owens gave a special thank you to General Donald, ECS Director Larry Latimer, State Rep. Jim Cole and Chamber Director Tiffany Andrews for their roles in turning this vision into a reality."

Columbus Probation Officers Participate in National Night Out

On August 2nd, the Columbus Probation Office in the Chattahoochee Judicial Circuit participated in National Night Out.
National Night Out is a unique crime and drug prevention event sponsored by the nonprofit National Association of Town Watch (NAWT).
National Night Out is designed to heighten crime and drug prevention awareness, generate support for and participation in local anti-crime programs, strengthen neighborhood spirit and police community partnerships and send a message to criminals letting them know

Contributed by CPO Stacy Rivera
that neighborhoods are organized and fighting back.

This year marked the 28th Annual National Night Out and the 11th in Columbus.

"Probation Officers are becoming more recognized as their visibility in the field increases," stated CPO Stacy Rivera.
Columbus Probation Officers along with the Columbus Police, Muscogee County Sheriff's and Marshal's Department, Columbus Fire Department and city officials took part in getting acquainted with citizens of local neighborhoods in the city.

Left to Right: Surveillence Officer Doug Pernell Left to Right: Officers Sean Thompson, Doug Pernell,

and Surveillence Officer Sean Thompson

Frederick Brown and Marcus Mosby

Citizens and public safety officers enjoyed food, music and games.
CPO Stacy Rivera said, "It was a way for the neighborhood to come together and show their apprecia-

tion to our dedicated Officers for their selfless service in keeping our neighborhoods safe."

Don't Forget
Blood Drive September 1st
9AM to 7PM Vinzant Gymnasium
Support Your Local Red Cross Drives!
Check out the newly designed Captiva
Homepage, the new GDC Supports our Military page and the new Justice Reinvestment page!
Calendar Events
Thursday, September 1
Board of Corrections Meeting & American Red Cross Blood Drive
Monday, September 5
LABOR DAY - HOLIDAY
Wednesday, September 7
Walker Faith & Character Based Prison
Commissioning Ceremony
Thursday, September 8
Board of Public Safety
Tuesday, September 13
Athens DRC Graduation
Tuesday, September 20
NOBTS Opening Ceremony & Corrections HR
Management Off-site
Wednesday, September 21
Corrections HR Management Off-site
Thursday, September 22
BCOT Graduation
Tuesday, September 27
Macon DRC Graduation

Corrections Leadership Institute Class 24 Graduation Ceremony Contributed by Delphine Reese Class 24 Graduates

CLI Class 24 Graduating Class with CLI Coordinator Delphine Reese (to Left) and CLI Carl Vinson Institute UGA Instructor Sherri Lawless (to Left)

On August 11th, the Department held the 24th Corrections Leadership Institute graduation for twenty-four graduates.
The CLI program is designed to prepare middle and senior leadership staff for increasing levels of responsibility with the DOC. It is a nine day course that is broken into three modules over the course of five months.
The focus of the class is development of leadership skills for DOC managers to become more effective in managing the challenges and opportunities within the organization. These skills include leading, managing, power, influence, accountability, group dynamics, systems thinking, change and public speaking.

CLI Instructor Sherri Lawless stated, ""Class XXIV is another addition to CLI's alumni group that represents the best our GDC/ Vinson Institute partnership can offer which is engaged learnerleaders poised to make meaningful and innovative contributions to the department. For my part, it continues to be a privilege to work with these many talented and dedicated individuals who are actively engaged in GDC's present while preparing themselves to help propel the organization into its future."
Director of OPT Arnold Smith gave the Graduation Address and assisted CLI Instructor Sherri Lawless with the presentation of certificates and pins.

Vaughn A Andrews Rajun C. Bogan Sylvie Bogui Tommy Bowen Kevin L. Davis Josephine Ford Kimberly Forrester Monique Grier
Rufus Hamilton Steve Hayes
Joan L. Heath James E. Herron Carley W. Hickox
Debra K. Hinkle
Mark Moll
John E. Moore, Jr.
Cherie H. Price Gene Quinn
Chistopher L. Railey
Nancy A Smith
Sandra W. Smith Robin B. Stewart Tommie L. Tremble Darryl A. Warren

Dekalb Circuit CPO Sylvester PO III SOS at Tift College Planner I Bleckley PDC Superintendent Macon SP Captain Columbus DRC Center Admin. Carrolton PO III Program Development Consultant of Reentry Chief of Security at Dooly SP Director of Public Affairs at Parole Central Office Director of Public Affairs Rutledge SP Captain Operations Analyst II of Care & Custody Business Manager of Adminstration Division Public Safety Training Instructor III of Training Section Investigator of Office of Investigations & Compliance Baldwin SP Chief Counselor Internet Services Manager of Office of Information Technology Deputy Warden of Security at Calhoun SP Program Development Consultant at SOS Sr. Investigator of Office of Investigations & Compliance Hinesville CPO Unit Manager at Hancock SP Unit Manager at Calhoun SP

Puppy Raisers Needed for the New Guide Dog Program at Burruss

Contributed by Pam Lehr & Deana Izzo

An important part of the program requires puppies to spend time at the home of a puppy raiser during the weekends.

offender to enroll in a 15-hour credit Veterinary Assistant course, which is offered through Middle Georgia Technical College.

Guide Dog Foundation for the Blind Program Puppies at Burruss CTC

The Department of Corrections has a partnership to train guide dogs for the visually impaired with Guide Dog Foundation for the Blind, Inc. in Smithtown Long Island, New York.
The training program is currently located at the Metro Transitional

Center and Burruss CTC.
The puppies, typically Labrador Retrievers, arrive at Burruss at seven weeks of age and remain at Burruss for up to 14 months. During this time, offenders teach basic obedience commands to the puppies.

Puppy Raisers provide exposure to settings that are not available inside prison grounds. These outside settings give the puppies an opportunity to experience crowds, smells, and noises.
Spending time with a puppy raiser is a critical part in the socialization of these puppies.
The Guide Dog Foundation program is part of On-theJob training offered at DOC facilities. In this program, offenders learn animal care, grooming and basic obedience techniques.
There is an opportunity for an

Offenders who have completed the program have said it is a life changing experience since they have the chance to contribute to the life of a visually impaired person.
If you are interested in becoming a puppy raiser for this program, please contact the following instructors:
Burruss Program Cathy Pittman at cathyp3@cox.net OR Lundi Johnson at lundiannejohnson@yahoo.com
Metro TC Program: Heather Hagstrom at heather. hagstrom@gmail.com

The Department Welcomes New 12 For Life Program Students at State Offices South

We have five students participating in the 12 FOR LIFE program. Two students have returned from last school year and three are new students to the program.
Students, pictured left to right: Richard Boswell, DJ High, Chelsea Arnett, Kendarius Proctor, Jeremy Hutto

Left to Right: Operations Administration Assistant Lori Howard (left) and CTAE Coordinator Monroe County Schools Susan Childs (right)

The 54th GPA Summer Training Conference By Gwendolyn Hogan

Left to Right: Director of PO Cooper, Commissioner Owens, FOM Kraft and FOM Mullis

Left to Right: Director of PO Cooper, Commissioner Owens, PO Hartman and FOM Mullis

Left to Right: FOM Mullis, Lakeland PO Ashburn and Left to Right: GPA President Chestnutt and Tim Lewis GPA President Chestnutt

The 54th GPA Summer Training Conference was held on Jekyll Island from August 17th through the 19th.
"This year's conference had the largest attendance since 2007," said Director of Probation Operations Stan Cooper.
GPA President Drew Chestnutt mentioned that they had over 257 people in attendance, 42 of which were from Parole.
During the conference, training classes were held with topics ranging from Parole and Probation: What We Have in Common, Justice Reinvestment, Drug Test

Stick Training, Criminal Justice Reform and SCRIBE Supervision Model Roll-Out to name a few.
Commissioner Brian Owens, GPA President Chestnutt, Director of Probation Operations Cooper and Field Operations Manager Scot Mullis recognized GPA members during the Awards Ceremony on August 18th.
The recipient of the 24th Annual Lee Broome Memorial Award for Excellence was FOM Michael Kraft. Like the late Lee Broome, FOM Kraft has been a model for excellence in

the probation profession through his initiative, dedication, perceptiveness and management skills.
Probation Officer Telly Hartman received the GPA Impact Award. The Impact Award, created by GPA and Probation Operations, recognizes those individuals that exemplify exceptional performance and accomplishment within the probation profession.
Probation Officer Lisa Ashburn received the Joe Williams Scholarship Award. PO Ashburn can put this $1,000 scholarship towards her undergraduate or graduate studies in the field of Criminal Justice.

During the awards ceremony, the GPA's First Annual Child/Spouse Scholarship was awarded to the daughter of GPA member and Sentinel representative, Tim Lewis. Mr. Lewis accepted the scholarship on behalf of his daughter who was unable to attend. The $500 scholarship is designed to assist in the pursuit of a Bachelor's or Master's degree in a program of study applicable to the field of Criminal Justice, Rehabilitation, Social Services or a related field.

all across the state to network together in a very professional but relaxed environment," stated Director of PO Cooper.
For details on the Mid-Winter Conference in March, please visit www.gaprobationassoc.org.

"The conference was very successful in achieving its goals in providing outstanding training and allowing its members from

Great State To Serve Program Received Top Honors at the NASPE Conference

Georgia's "Great State to Serve" program designed to raise employee satisfaction was recognized recently by the Council of State Governments and received top honors at the National Association of State Personnel Executives (NASPE) Conference in July. Our great state received accolades in two out of three categories.
NAPSE presents three awards annually and Georgia claimed the top award, Innovative Program of the Year for the Great State to Serve program.
Georgia's second award was for the email campaign around the state's core commitments to

customers, Courteous, Helpful, Accessible, Responsive and Knowledgeable.
GDC, one of eight agencies participating in the GSS pilot, met the goal of raising satisfaction by two points. We have learned during an economic downturn, citizens demand for state services actually increases. Greater efficiencies are required to meet their demands without raising costs.
A key factor in providing efficient services is retaining well trained and experienced employees who provide a higher quality of service to customers. It is essential that we create a work

Contributed by Cathy Smith
environment where our top performers want to stay.
Georgia is the first public entity to implement a program geared toward improving workplace satisfaction. In doing so, Georgia has achieved national acclaim for its efforts. Over the next several months, our agency will continue to focus on raising credibility scores by improving communication practices and sustaining the great results achieved last year.
Pictured with the NASPE award are Probation Officer Aaron Pupp and Correctional Officer Kimberly Gregory.

Correctional Officer Kimberly Gregory and Probation Officer Aaron Pupp

Seventh Annual GDC Professional Management Program Graduation

August 24th PMP Graduates in Roberts Chapel at State Offices South at Tift College

Contributed by Delphine Reese

On August 24th, 70 DOC employees graduated from Professional Management Program.
The DOC graduates received a cerficiate in Criminal Justice from Columbus State University, which is the equivalent to 30 college credit hours. These hours can be used towards an Associates or Bachelor's Degree in Criminal Justice.
The PMP program is an education initiative that supports the agency's goal to promote a learning organization.
The Department and CSU

have partnered together to provide college classes to employees at six sites throughout the state: Tifton, Savannah, Milledgeville, Atlanta, Cherokee County and most recently Reidsville.
The Leadership Development Training Unit is responsible for the education initiative that supports one of Commissioner Owens "Top Five," Succession Planning.
For information, contact Delphine Reese, PMP Coordinator, at 404-665-7370, or Robert Gaylor, Education Coordinator, at 478992-2835.

Agencies Unite to Form the Augusta Community Impact Operation By Gwendolyn Hogan

The Georgia Department of Corrections joined forces with the Richmond County Sheriff's Office and officers from the Board of Pardons and Paroles on August 24th for a three-day operation called the Augusta Community Impact Initiative.
"We simply cannot fight crime by ourselves," stated Commissioner Brian Owens. "It demands complete involvement and the Department of Corrections is proud to join forces with the Richmond County Sheriff's Office in this necessary venture," added Commissioner Owens.
The objective of this operation was to serve 216 outstanding criminal and probation warrants and heighten law enforcement presence.
"Collaborative efforts of this type speak directly to our mission of protecting the public," said Director of Parole Michael Nail. "It reenforces that we can be much more successful when we work together toward a common purpose," added Nail.
The Richmond County Crime Suppression Team with the assistance of the Georgia Department of Corrections, State Board of Pardons and Paroles served 30 warrants successfully and yielded 102 arrests in 72-hours.
During this 72-hour period, officers served warrants, policed narcotics activity and provided a strong presence in high crime, high profile areas.

"The streets of Richmond County are much safer tonight after a joint operation with the Richmond County Sheriff's Office, Georgia Department of Corrections Probation Operations/Special Operations and the State Board of Pardons and Parole focusing on street level crime and offenders that continue to reoffend," stated Richmond County Captain Scott Gay.

The Augusta operation was the first of its kind conducted by the Sheriff's Office with the Georgia Department of Corrections.

Left to Right: Augusta PO Christopher Smith, Augusta PO John Lee, Northeast Probation Tactical Squad PO3 Brad Willis & Deputy Kelly Lundy with the Richmond County Crime Supression Team

"This operation was the third joint task force effort between the Department of Corrections, Pardons and Parole and local law enforcement," said Director of Probation Operations Stan Cooper. "The first operation of this nature was held in Atlanta, the second in Macon and now Augusta. By all indications this operation was successful in increasing public safety," added Cooper.

Left to Right: Richmond County Deputy Kenneth McKenzie, Deputy Lundy, Augusta PO Lee and PO3 Willis

Deputy Lundy with the Richmond County Crime Supression Team dropping off offender to be taken to County Jail after arrest
Deputy Lundy escorting offender into Richmond County Police Car after arrest

Phillips State Prison Therapy Programs
Contributed by Pearl Freeman
Activity Therapy Department was asked to a meeting with Governor Nathan Deal during National Therapeutic Recreation Week during July 10-16th.

Phillips State Prison Activity Therapists Pearl Freeman, AT, TRS (MHM Georgia), Tamara Hogan, AT (GDOC), Governor Nathan Deal and Onsha Whittaker, AT (MHM Georgia)

During 2011, Phillips State Prison has implemented two major programs within their Activity Therapy Department.

Phillips State Prison has partnered with The Atlanta Foundation for Hospital Art for the second program.

The first program implements the Wii video game system to Level III and Level IV inmates.
The Wii program has been a useful and successful tool by helping to build confidence in promoting positive competitive attitudes and decreasing negative behaviors in a group setting.

The Atlanta Foundation for Hospital Art is an organization made up of a group of volunteers that travel worldwide painting with patients in hospitals and is now here painting with our Level III and Level IV offenders.
Due to these new programs at Phillips State Prison, the

During the meeting with Governor Deal, Phillips State Prison's Activity Therapy Department was given the opportunity to have a picture taken with the Governor and the signed proclamation regarding the National Therapeutic Recreation Week.
Pearl Freeman stated, "Here at Phillips State Prison, our Activity Therapy Department is committed to restoring, encouraging and supporting continued positive programming."

Keep an eye out for a New Quarterly Article by our own Commissioner Brian Owens starting next month!

Commissioner Brian Owens Public Affairs Director, Joan Heath; Managing Editor, Gwendolyn Hogan; Public Relations and Information Specialist Kristen Stancil