2019 Annual report

GEORGIA DE C OMMUN I TY
WHERE PUBLI C SAFE
GEORGIA DEPARTMENT OF COMMUNITY SUPERVISION
WHERE PUBLIC SAFETY AND PROGRESS MEET

Office Locations
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Our Mission
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As an integral part of the criminal justice system, we protect and serve all Georgia citizens through effective and efficient offender supervision in our communities, while providing opportunities for successful outcomes.
Our Vision
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To become the national leader for innovative and progressive community supervision; we will accomplish this by:
Embracing best and next evidence based practices
Utilizing an integrated approach to improve offender behavior
Effectively coordinating between all concerned stakeholders
Ensuring victim's voices are heard and victim rights protected

WE ARE #TEAMDCS
CORE
Accountability Integrity Selfless service Teamwork Personal and professional development

Table of Contents
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About | 2 By the Numbers | 8 #TeamDCS | 12 Events and Awards | 14 Reentry | 20 MPOU | 26 Restorative Justice | 28

About Us

Commissioner Nail
FOUNDED In 2015 when HB 310 was introduced
WE STRIVE FOR A holistic approach to offender supervision that involves all facets of the community

Year in Review

August 1 , 2018 - July 31, 2019

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It is my pleasure to present the Georgia Department of Community Supervision's 2019 Annual Report.
Since inception, we have prided ourselves on being an agency of innovation. Whether it be our internationally recognized use of technology, our commitment to exploring and implementing evidence-based practices, or our focus on creating additional efficiencies through the evaluation of our operations, DCS remains committed to advancing our mission and protecting Georgia citizens.
In the past Fiscal Year, we have introduced additional enhancements to further automate our case management system in order to assist officers with important supervision notifications. We also explored potential avenues to address

the vital issue of officer safety and what we can do to ensure our officers are protected while performing their duties. Other notable changes in FY19 included a departmental reorganization. Utilizing recommendations from operational evaluation studies, DCS realigned several divisions to streamline our operations which better positioned us to serve our communities.
Looking ahead, we will continue to operate with an eye towards efficiency, cost-effectiveness, and research-driven decision making. Lastly, I would like to recognize our employees. Without a doubt, they are our greatest asset. It is the collective contributions of these dedicated and hardworking professionals that enable DCS to pursue innovative practices that elevate our agency to new heights.
Michael W. Nail Commissioner

Department of Community Supervision
Executive Leadership
Our senior leadership team sets the strategic direction of our agency and drives the innovation, passion, and focus that undergird our daily work. Our leaders join DCS as proven veterans in the fields of criminal justice and public administration.

Scott Maurer
Assistant Commissioner

Bert Flewellen
Chief Operating Officer

Sandra Thomas
Executive Operations Director

Johnny Knatt
Human Resources Director

Phil Sellers
Chief Information Officer

Robert Orange
Chief Financial Officer

Board

Annual Report 2019 || external.affairs@dcs.ga.gov || dcs.ga.gov

Sonja Fillingham

City Manager of Union City

Tyrone Oliver

Commissioner, Department of Juvenile Justice

Timothy C. Ward

Commissioner, Department of Corrections

Kevin Little

Chairman, Walton County Board of Commissioners

Judy Fitzgerald

Commissioner, Department of Behavioral Health and

Developmental Disabilities

Terry Barnard

Chairman, State Board of Pardons and Parole

Brian Owens

Vice Chairman, State Board of Pardons and Parole

Tom C. Rawlings

Director, Office of the Child Advocate

Steve Queen

Director of Field Services, CSRA Probation Services, Inc.

Michael Terrell

Chief Probation Officer, Coweta County State Court

Department of Community Supervision
Advisory Council

Judge Neal Dettmering

State Court

Judge John OttSuperior Court

Judge Nathan Wade

Municipal Court

Judge Chase Daughtrey

Probate Court

Judge W. Allen Wigington

Magistrate Court

Tim DonovanPrivate Probation

Shonda GilkeyPublic Probation

Lon Kemeness

Criminal Defense Attorney

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Annual Report 2019 || external.affairs@dcs.ga.gov || dcs.ga.gov

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By the Numbers



265,816
Cumulative total of all individuals under active DCS supervision
48,182
Count of supervision exits
129
Average caseload per community supervision officer

Department of Community Supervision
Expenditures

0.2%

1.1%

0.1%

1.8% 3.1%

0.4%

2.5%

4.4%

86.5%

$179,919,809
$155,558,494 $7,876,442 $646,441 $207,193 $2,006,383 $4,479,117 $3,267,919 $363,890 $5,513,927

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Annual Report 2019 || external.affairs@dcs.ga.gov || dcs.ga.gov

Total Expenditures

FY 2018 FY 2019

$183,738,485 $ 179,919,809

*Not included in these figures are expenditures related to the Georgia Commission on Family Violence, which is administratively attached to DCS. The alignment of our agencies allows us to better identify and respond to domestic violence and its impacts within the families we serve.

Expenditures by Fund Source

State

$177,148,554

Federal

$909,028

Other

$1,862,225

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Department of Community Supervision

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Expenditures by Program

$200,000,000 $150,000,000

$165,073,394

$100,000,000

$50,000,000
$9,141,092
$0 Administration Field Services

$803,622
MPOU

$4,901,698
Reentry Services

#TeamDCS



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Our performance relies first and foremost on our employees. These public servants remain steadfast in their commitment to the agency's mission.

Our Employees
2,011
DCS employees
DCS employed 1,503 sworn staff, and 508 non-sworn staff, as of July 1, 2019.
Employee Engagement --
During FY19, DCS conducted an Employee Engagement Survey in order to cultivate a stronger workforce that best serves Georgia's citizens.
Pictured to the left are representatives from each focus group that convenes regularly to develop strategies to enhance the workplace culture of our Department. Our employees are undoubtedly our greatest asset.

113,592
Hours of training
Professional development is a value for DCS and we invest heavily in our workforce. DCS believes in providing opportunities for our employees to enhance their talents so that we can remain a relevant and productive department. DCS employees received 113,592 hours of training in FY19--an average of 68.5 hours per sworn employee. DCS Training provided 440 courses, including 36 online courses.

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Annual Report 2019 || external.affairs@dcs.ga.gov || dcs.ga.gov

Event
Inaugural Women's Leadership Summit

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DCS held it's first Women's Leadership Summit in May of this year at the UGA Center for Continuing Education. The woven emblem symbolizes the agency culture that the Summit nurtures; a network of women that support, lift up, and work with each other.
A highlight of the summit was the Women's Leadership Panel. The panel was led by DCS

Director of Executive Operations Sandra Thomas, Executive Director of the Georgia Commision on Family Violence Jennifer Thomas, and GBI Director of Public Affairs Nelly Miles.
DCS is blessed to have so many phenomenal women in leadership roles who are committed to making us a better and stronger agency.

Department of Community Supervision
Notable Events & Awards

Award
Excellence in Treatment Centers and Recovery Services

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In recognition of clinical competency in addiction treatment and/or recovery support services, the Alcohol and Drug Abuse Certification Board of Georgia presented DCS with the "Excellence in Treatment Centers and Recovery Services" award at their 7th Annual Alcohol and

Drug Abuse Certification Board of Georgia Conference. Assistant Commissioner Scott Allen Maurer accepted the prestigious award on behalf of DCS. The conference was held in Atlanta at the Cobb Galleria Centre June 20-21, 2019. DCS sponsored 50 of our own employees to attend the conference.

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Annual Report 2019 || external.affairs@dcs.ga.gov || dcs.ga.gov

Event
Support Staff Appreciation Day

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On April 3, 2019, scores of support staff employees gathered at the Georgia Public Safety Training Center in Forsyth for a full day of celebration, professional development, and appreciation. Support staff is defined as employees who are not POST Certified, such as administrative assistants, reentry staffers, and many others. DCS has approximately 500 support staffers who assist nearly 1,500 officers throughout the state.
Our support staff employees provide an irreplaceable service to DCS. The work they perform allows for officers and chiefs to focus their time on interacting with offenders and ensuring public safety and offender success. The work they do has a huge impact on the workplace. Support staff employees make our offices more efficient and productive every single day. Still, because much of the work they do is behind the

scenes, it is easy to let their recognition slip by without proper regard. Fortunately, DCS leadership remains mindful that the contributions of all employees are meaningful and noteworthy.
Commissioner Nail kicked-off the event with opening remarks reminding the attendees that their role is vital to our mission. Due to the public exposure many of our support staffers realize, the event featured a self-defense course from Coordinating Chief Renata Dunn and Instructor Andrew Stolarik. Additionally, given the rigorous professional demands of the duties, the DCS Training Academy gave a presentation on employee wellness and self-care. At the end of the event, DCS leadership presented each attendee with a certificate of appreciation to honor the significance of their responsibilities.

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Department of Community Supervision
"We should never miss an opportunity to honor these hard-working individuals. They are absolutely critical to our mission."
Scott Maurer Assistant Commissioner

Event
Special Operations Security Detail for Super Bowl LIII

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We are so proud all of the DCS family that assisted with the Superbowl LIII Security Detail, especially James Bergman, Kent Young, Pam Thrift, and Jerminique Hunt for laying the groundwork and implementing the operation.
"The word of the week was flexibility," said Young when asked to describe his experience managing the superbowl operation. "We started planning this in May of 2018, and after an all call for volunteers we ended up having a total of 327 people working over the ten period."

Throughout the week of the Superbowl, District two and District eight IRT teams provided security for the NFL Commissioner's Press Conference and the Public Safety Press Conference. The Department of Homeland Security Secretary Kirstjen Nielsen and many other state agency heads, VIP's and Dignitaries were in attendance.
Other ways DCS assisted with SBLII included helping lost children, keeping an eye out for suspicious or abandoned packages, crowd control with upset patrons, and an assault on Freddie Falcon.

This special operation was possible through collaboration with GEMA/ Homeland Security, Georgia State Patrol, Department of Natural Resources, DOC, DCS, and GDC.

DCS was the largest agency in attendance at the Superbowl. "GWCC Police again sang praises of the caliber officers we employ," said Young.

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Department of Community Supervision

"The opportunity to serve our communities in a time of

distress puts our mission at the forefront; We desire to be a

source of hope during difficult times." Event

James Bergman Special Operations Director

Hurricane Michael Disaster Relief Efforts

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Hurricane Michael made landfall on the afternoon of October 10, 2018 as an extremely dangerous Category 5 hurricane. It was the first major hurricane to directly impact Georgia since the 1890s.
In southwest Georgia, wind gusts as high as 115 mph were recorded in Donalsonville. Winds gusted over 70 mph in portions of Central Georgia leading to widespread tree damage, over 300,000 power outages, as well as catastrophic damage to cotton and pecan crops. The devastation of this natural disaster may have resulted in great strife. However, the response to this storm truly embodies the unbreakable spirit of communities across South Georgia.
In true DCS fashion, our response to assist our fellow Georgians was swift, prepared, and heartfelt. One hundred and sixty nine of our officers joined forces with the American Red Cross, Georgia Emergency Management Agency, and numerous other relief

organizations to respond to the storm's destruction. Several special operations personnel served at the State Operations Center helping to deploy resources to ravaged neighborhoods. The 15-day operational period witnessed our officers working 12-hour shifts and providing 24/7 coverage. Additionally, officers responded to 11 requests for assistance from GEMA which included:
Law enforcement presence to secure shelters for crime suppression
Securing emergency equipment Curfew enforcement Providing access control and security at
food and water distribution points Assisting with roadway safety by creating
roadblocks, and creating passable traffic routes
The spirit of cordiality and teamwork became a driving force of goodwill as communities worked to rebuild.

Annual Report 2019 || external.affairs@dcs.ga.gov || dcs.ga.gov
Community Coordination
We rely on collaborative relationships with community organizations to create local networks of reentry support.
20,992
Contacts made in FY19
4,255
Community resources in FY19

Reentry

Department of Community Supervision
Community Coordinators --
Community Coordinators provide direct support to the local DCS sites. They work within their assigned circuit to develop and maintain relationships with service providers and resources. Community Coordinators also assist with hands-on case management of high needs cases, as well as providing individuals with referrals to housing, employment, and mentoring resources when needed.
"Growing our awareness of available resources and sustaining strong communications with existing partners is vitally important to our effectiveness."
Michelle Stanley Director of Reentry Services Division

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Reentry Success Story --
DeKalb Community Coordinator Sharon Almon put our mission at the forefront when she assisted an individual under supervision transition into a productive and contributive member of his local community.
The individual was released during the 2019 fiscal year. The initial intake assessment concluded that the individual demonstrated he had some level of mental health challenges. He showed multiple signs that he could have been a threat to himself or others at the time. However, through assistance, the individual was connected to counseling services as well as a mentor. He was stabilized soon after with the help of counseling and medication.
Through advocacy and a network of employment resources available to him, the individual was connected with a bakery for an interview, and was eventually hired. The individual achieved eight months retention on this job before accepting a new position and relocating. He now lives in Douglasville, where he is able to utilize his manufacturing and forklift experience.

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Housing
Re-entry Partnership Housing --
The Reentry Partnership Housing (RPH) Program is a means to provide housing to qualified individuals under supervision who do not have valid residence plans. These individuals may be released from prison or jail or are active participants in an Accountability Court (felony drug, mental health, veterans, or family). Certified RPH Providers provide them with stable housing and food.
The goal of the RPH Program is to provide short-term housing assistance to help stabilize an individual's reentry process and enhance his or her ability to remain crime-free. This program involves a unique collaboration between several state agencies, including the Department of Community Affairs (DCA), the Department of Corrections (GDC), and the Council of Accountability Court Judges (CACJ).

Department of Community Supervision

Transitional
Housing for
Offender Reentry
(THOR)
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THOR is a public directory of community-based housing for persons releasing from prison or on probation or parole. To locate and view the directory, go to dcs.ga.gov, click on "Reentry Services" then "Housing Resources".

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THOR Facilities
7 of which are able to serve those who are classified as Sex Offenders.

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Day Reporting Centers
Rebuilding Trust and Transparency --
DRCs provide a non-residential prison diversion program for highrisk, high-need individuals who have a history of substance abuse and non-compliant behavior. They seek to address the root problem of substance abuse, rather than focus on the non-violent crimes that often result f rom addiction. Individuals who are placed on a DRC track complete an intensive, highly-structured, non-residential addiction recovery program that typically lasts around six months, sometimes more.

Department of Community Supervision

1,191
DRC graduates in FY19

DRC Success Story Chris Buckley --
The story of this participant's life includes a long history of drug abuse and committing violent, public hate crimes. In 2016, the participant's wife staged an intervention with close family and friends to try and start the participant on a path of recovery. After frequent bouts of homeless shelters, drug rehab centers, and gang convictions in Los Angeles, the participant admitted to being "a broken man and needing to turn the page on his hatred of the past."
The participant's addiction to drugs, however, was a different matter; it had worsened, and he was arrested for possession. In 2017, he was arrested again and detoxed over his four-month sentence. He was given the opportunity to go to the Lookout Mountain DRC where he became a "model participant." His counselor, Beverly Chapman, said he had a bumpy start at the DRC but ended up really buying into the intent of the program. The DRC places an emphasis on accountability, character development, and a multitude of

other courses that eventually serve as a point of reformation for the participant.
With assistance from the staff, the participant ultimately gained employment as a machine mechanic at a carpet mill. Furthermore, he began volunteering at the Haven, a church outreach ministry for people who are homeless, hungry, and struggling with addiction. At the Haven, the participant works in the garden, serves food, and leads NA meetings. He feels like this place is his purpose. He now befriends those he once despised. He summarizes his transformed life well; "I just want to do good to make up for all the bad."

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"MPOU's mission is to evaluate, educate and regulate misdemeanor probation to ensure compliance with Georgia Law, Board rules and policies, as well as promote the industry's best probation supervision practices. We are in this together."
Barbara Neville Director of Misdemeanor Probation Oversight

MPOU

Misdemeanor Probation Oversight Unit

The Misdemeanor Probation Oversight Unit (MPOU) along with the Advisory Council provide regulatory oversight to Georgia's public and private misdemeanor probation providers. MPOU was embedded into the DCS organizational structure in order to provide for a collaborative, inclusive, and thorough analysis of Georgia's adult community supervision model to ensure that taxpayer dollars are spent efficiently. The significant measure of this new

regulatory system is to give providers and officers the requisite training hours and materials to confirm they are operating with fidelity to the intent of the misdemeanor reforms. DCS managed to find ways to make these training more affordable by allowing the providers to co-host the trainings at their homebase. This allowed rural areas greater access to training and resulted in bolstering the attendance by providers.

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Restorative Justice

Annual Report 2019 || external.affairs@dcs.ga.gov || dcs.ga.gov
Uplifting Communities We Serve
"Whether through our employees or offender population, our Department believes in selfless service as a way to make our presence felt in the communities we serve. DCS is all about making a difference by helping others who need it the most."
David Morrison Director of Field Operations
Community Service --
Community service is one way in which our offender population is able to give back to society. As an agency, DCS strives to provide meaningful solutions for successful outcomes. Community service can be a condition of a direct order, sanction, or as a component of programming in a DRC program.

Department of Community Supervision

Winter Service Day
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DCS distributed care packages to the homeless in communities across Georgia. We were able to distribute personal care items, food, clothing, and blankets. Serving those in need keeps our staff mindful of our duty to serve.

Summer Service Day
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DCS Offices throughout the state took to their local communities to help those in need. Each office adopted a school and partnered with that school to provide backpacks, supplies, and donations to the educators. Over 1000 items were distributed throughout the state as we were able to make a meaningful difference.
Amount donated by DCS to the 2018 State Charitable Contributions Program (SCCP)

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GEORG IA DEPARTMENT OF COMMUNI TY SUPERVISION
WHERE PUBLI C SAFETY AN D PR O G R ESS MEET

2 Martin Luther King, Jr Drive SE Suite 458, East Tower Atlanta, GA 30334

678. 783. 4337

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