Impact Georgia, Oct. 2013

October 2013 Newsletter

In This Issue
1 Montgomery & Hancock State Prisons Receive National Award
2 Augusta Joint Task Force Operation

Montgomery & Hancock State Prisons Receive National Award
Contributed by Tom Sittnick, Director of Health Services

GDC Hosts Inaugural Youth Basketball Tournament
3 GDC Host Firearms Simulator Event
BMT and POST IT Fall Graduates
4Employee Recognized by the Clean Air Campaign
GDC Donates Confiscated Cell Phones

L to R: (Front Row) Dir. of Health Services Tom Sittnick, RN/Lead Nurse Cynithia Pitts, Deputy Warden of Care & Treatment Jeff Coleman, (Back Row) Managing Dir. of GCHC Bob Bradford, Chairman of the Accreditation Committee Dr. Patton Smith, GCHC Field Operations Dir. Nick Munhofen, GDC Field Operations Manager Victor Walker

L to R: Dental Asst. Jeanette Smith, Clerk Mary Osburn, Dir. of Nursing Linda Butts, Health Service Admin. Lisa Thomas, Warden Dennis Brown, LPN Joann Shinholster, Dr. Carl Lift, Medical Director, LPN Erica Hall, Dentist Dr. Larry Browning, Former Warden Glen Johnson, LPN Sharon Lake, LPN Barbara Reeves, LPN Renee Murray, RN Lillie Chatman, RN Sharon Steger, LPN Marilyn French, Former Health Service Admin David Butts, RN Gloria Cooper, and RN Terri Waters

On Sept. 18, the Office of Health Services and Georgia Correctional Healthcare senior leadership joined facility staff at Montgomery and Hancock State Prisons for the presentation of the Floyd Bliven Award by the Medical Association of Georgia (MAG) to the medical staff at both facilities.
The Floyd Bliven Award was established by the House of Delegates in 1997 for fa-

cilities which exhibit special excellence in the health and well-being of those incarcerated in prisons and jails in Georgia. The facilities must achieve a score of 100 percent on their annual MAG audit and also demonstrate a concerted effort on the part of administrative, security and clinical staff for professional medical excellence.
Since its inception, only five awards have

been presented which includes both Montgomery and Hancock State Prisons.
Congratulations to the medical staff at both Montgomery and Hancock State Prisons! You have clearly demonstrated our motto, Exceptional is Standard.

Athens DRC Participates in Athens Recovery Fest

Have a great story idea?
Send to Gwendolyn Hogan by October 24.
Email: hogang00@dcor.state.ga.us

Calling all FACILITIES & PROBATION OFFICES! Sign up and donate for your chance to receive a Trophy at the Annual Awards Ceremony next year! Call 478-992-5247!

Did You Know...The two-day Augusta Joint Task Force operation netted 39 arrests!!

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Augusta Joint Task Force Operation
Contributed by Pamela Gould, Chief Probation Officer, Augusta Probation Office

Probation, Parole and Local law enforcement officers at Command Center

Officers out on the streets of Augusta serving warrants and conducting compliance checks

Probation Officer Ryan Baird from the Northeast Tact Squad using Rapid ID

On Sept. 18-19, the Department of Corrections (DOC) provided support to the Richmond County Sheriff's Office (RCSO) to assist with the enhancement of safety and security of three select locations in Augusta through the service of outstanding warrants and the practice of community oriented policing.

Agencies involved in this two-day operation included RCSO, DOC, State Board of Pardons and Paroles and US Marshal's Service.
A total of 84 law enforcement personnel worked together to clean up the streets of Augusta during this operation.

"Joint task force operations are essential to our mission of protecting the citizens of our great state," said Commissioner Brian Owens. "I am pleased at the current success and look forward to future operations across the state."
At the end of day two, a total of 39 war-

rants had been cleared which resulted in 39 arrests.
Arrest breakdown: Probation Warrants: 26 Parole Warrants: 5 Civilian Warrants: 8

GDC Hosts Inaugural Youth Basketball Tournament

Snapshots from select age group games before championship game
Event planner Chantel Hicks participates in basketball tournament

L to R: Asst. Commissioner Tim Ward, Mercer Boys, Chantel Hicks and Commissioner Brian Owens

L to R: Asst. Commissioner Tim Ward, Georgia Gladiators, Chantel Hicks and Commissioner Brian Owens

On Sept. 21, the Department hosted an inaugural youth basketball tournament at State Offices South at Tift College for students ages eight to 18 in Forsyth, Ga.
The event was organized by Georgia Department of Corrections (GDC) employee and former 12 For Life student, Chantel Hicks.
Chantel Hicks first started working with GDC in Nov 2010 through the 12 For Life program, a collaborative effort between GDC and the Monroe County School System designed to help students complete their high school education while gaining real-world job experience along with needed life-skills training and mentoring.

Hicks became a full-time employee in Oct 2011 as a Mail Service Clerk and was recently promoted to Lead Mail Service Worker in April of this year.
"If you want something you never had, you must do something you've never done before," said Hicks.
The Department recruited community and GDC staff volunteers to assist as referees, scorekeepers, assistants to scorekeepers, court managers and activity coordinators in order to ensure the success of the event.
"I want to thank all the community volunteers, staff volunteers and employees who helped make this event such a resounding success," said Assistant

Commissioner Timothy C. Ward.
Participating teams included: Jackson Boys (ages 13-15) Georgia Gladiators (ages 13-15) Mercer Boys (ages 13-15)
Winners of the girls group was the Georgia Gladiators and winners of the boys group was the Mercer Boys.
"Focusing on our youth and ensuring they stay on the right path is essential to their future," said Commissioner Brian Owens. "We look forward to next year's Youth Basketball Tournament and making this a yearly tradition."
For more photos, please visit Facebook.com/georgiacorrections

GDC Hosts Firearms Simulator Event

3

Calendar Events
Thursday, October 3 Board of Corrections
Meeting

Thursday, October 10 BCOT Graduation

L to R: Board of Corrections Vice Chairman Rose Williams, Commissioner Brian Owens and Meggitt CPU Pad and simulator weapons VP of Virtual Systems Larry Raines

On Sept. 13, the Department hosted a Firearms Simulator event to celebrate its new partnership with Georgia-based company, Meggitt Training Systems.
Meggitt Training Systems (formerly FATS) is the leading supplier of integrated live fire and virtual weapons training systems.
Speakers at the event included Vice President of Virtual Systems Larry Raines, Director of Law Enforcement Virtual Sales Winn Hines, Virtual Training Manager Patrick Grella, Marketing Manager Michelle Henderson and GDC Commissioner Brian Owens, Assistant

Commissioners Timothy C. Ward and Gregory C. Dozier and Director of Training Gail Donnelly.
Corrections and community guests included Board of Corrections Vice Chairman Rose Williams, Forsyth-Monroe County Chamber of Commerce Darlene McLendon and Monroe County Sheriff's deputies.
The Meggitt training systems provides judgemental, situational awareness, tactical and marksmanship training.
The purpose of the agency's new partnership with Meggitt is to improve fire-

arms training by using the system for basic firearms qualification, annual requalification and for advanced specialized firearms training.
The Department purchased five Meggitt FATS L7 simulators, 15 blue fire Glocks, six tethered Smith and Wessons.
After complete implementation of the simulator program the Department foresees a cost savings of over $200,000 per year.

BMT and POST IT Fall Graduations

Contributed by Sharon R. Shaver, Management Development Coordinator and Robert Mallory, Master Instructor of Training & Development \

Friday, October 11 Commissioner's CERT
Challenge
Thursday, October 17 Savannah DRC
Graduation & Flu Vaccines at SOSTC
Tuesday, October 22 Northwest DRC Graduation
Wednesday-Thursday October 23 & 24 Senior Leadership Off-site
Tuesday, October 29 GDC Quarterly Awards
Ceremony
Thursday, October 31 HALLOWEEN

On Sept. 19, the Leadership Development Unit had 26 students graduate from Basic Management Training (BMT).
BMT prepares new and upcoming managers to meet the demands of their new positions by addressing core competency skills as identified by the National Institute of Corrections and Department.
BMT graduates included Akilah Johnson, Renita Wells, LaJohnda Johnson, Latasha Ward, Kenneth Perkins, Terence Perkins, Tanguanika Coburn, Nicholas

Brown, LaChesha Smith, Ivrekia Stanley, Eve Reese-Condit, Christal Kimble, Tamara Bolden, Shaveta Jones, Wendy Jackson, LaStacha Cooks, Kimberly McKinney, Andrew Scott, Matthew Lawrimore, Vanessa Linder, Tony Hailes, Sr., Gail Lucas, Chomika Curry, Marcia Luckett, Heidi Braswell and William Norman.
Congratulations BMT graduates!
On Aug. 30, nine employees graduated from POST IT Training. Graduates included Dexter Barrow, Latasha Hamil-

ton, Talia Hamilton, Alan Raffield, Keith Phinney, Charles Steed, Linfred Davis, Louis Speights and Samuel Fair.
Congratulations POST IT graduates!
Interested in attending Basic Management Training or POST IT Training? Ask your supervisor for more information in how to register.

youtube.com/user/ GACorrections
facebook.com/georgiacorrections
GA_Corrections

4 Employee Recognized by the Clean Air Campaign GDC Donates Confiscated Cell Phones

Contributed by Spencer Artman, Director of Operations

Contributed by Clay Weaver, Leadership Development Manager

Waddell for his demonstrated leadership and determination in support of the State's Clean Air Campaign.

The Clean Air Campaign is the statewide nonprofit organization under contract with Georgia Department of Transportation (DOT) for promoting air quality and traffic congestion information and solutions.

Craig Waddell with Clean Air Campaign plaque
On Sept. 11, the Clean Air Campaign recognized Call Center Manager Craig

Managers nominated for recognition are those who have gone above and beyond to offer a telework program to employees, worked to overcome obstacles to enable employees to work from home and played an integral part in establishing an impressive telework program at their company.
Alternative Work Arrangements Consultant Tom Tamaka hosted the awards teleconference.
Congratulations Craig!

Since April 2013, the Department of Corrections has donated proceeds received from recycling 3,381 cell phones through CellularRecycle.com to Relay For Life. The total received and donated was $2,828.50.
Additionally, the Department has donated more than 1,100 cell phones to

the Verizon Hopeline Project. Hopeline refurbished these donated phones and equipped them with 3,000 anytime minutes of airtime and texting capabilities for men, women and children effected by domestic violence.

Athens DRC Participates in Athens Recovery Fest

Contributed by Paige Barber, Counselor of the Athens Day Reporting Center

Counselors Reginald Birdsong (left) and Clay Garret
On Sept. 14, the Athens DRC participated in the Athens Recovery Fest, a collaborative venture planned by several local agencies including the Athens Day Reporting Center and Advantage Behavioral Health Systems, to celebrate people who are living in all forms of recovery (substance abuse, domestic violence, eating disorders).
The event was designed to bring awar-

Balloons signifying September's "National Substance Abuse Awareness Athens DRC Counselor Lasheika Kassa month

eness to the public about programs that can help those in need of recovery, as well as an education about how life changing recovery can be.
The Athens DRC recruited approximately 50 probationers in Phases I and II to do community service work (as a restorative justice project for the Clarke county area), as well as volunteers from the recovery community to make

this event a success!
All participants of the event were given a free "We Do Recover" bracelet to signify that people in the recovery community do get better.
At the culmination of the event, dark purple balloons were released to signify National Substance Abuse Awareness month (September).

Before releasing the balloons, participants were invited to write down worries in their life that they want to remove.
"This was the first Athens Recovery Fest, but it was a overwhelming success and plans are in the works to have an even better event next year," said Athens DRC Counselor Paige Barber.

MISSION The Department of Corrections creates a safer Georgia
by effectively managing offenders and providing opportunities for positive change
VISION To be recognized as the best corrections organization in the nation.

BRIAN OWENS Commissioner
PUBLIC AFFAIRS
Joan Heath Director
Gwendolyn Hogan Managing Editor