Fiscal year 2019 annual report

GEORGIA BOARD OF PARDONS AND PAROLES

ANNUAL REPORT FY 2019

PARTNERS IN PUBLIC SAFETY
Brian Kemp, Governor
Terry E. Barnard, Chairman Brian Owens, Vice Chairman James W. Mills, Member Jacqueline Bunn, Esq., Member David J. Herring, Member

OUR MISSION
To serve the citizens of Georgia by exercising the constitutional authority of executive clemency through informed decision-making, thereby ensuring public safety, protecting victims' rights, and providing offenders with opportunities for positive change.
OUR VISION
To be the nation's leading paroling authority by: Making informed clemency decisions Preparing offenders for positive change through the imposition of
practical and constructive release conditions Protecting the public by holding accountable those offenders who
violate the conditions of release Ensuring crime victims have a voice in the criminal justice process Fostering positive relationships with all stakeholders Striving to be a continuously learning organization
OUR VALUES
We value Ethics, Integrity, Equity and Innovation.
2 Georgia Board of Pardons and Paroles

INSIDE
Mission, Vision, Values . . . . . . . . . 2 Organizational Chart . . . . . . . . . . 3 FY 2019 Highlights . . . . . . . . . . . 4 Chairman's Letter . . . . . . . . . . . . 8 The Five Member Parole Board . . . . 9 Parole Board Members . . . . . . . . .11 Executive Leadership . . . . . . . . . .16 Executive Director's Letter . . . . . . .17 Clemency & Parole Consideration . . 18 Field Services . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 27 Georgia Office of Victim Services . . .31 Human Resources & Training . . . . .34 Budget & Fiscal Services . . . . . . . .35
The Agency is guided by the 4 Es
Engaging Stakeholders Educating the Community Encouraging Active Participation Enhancing Operations
Enhanced Operations Improve Public Safety

ANNUAL REPORT 2019

THE BOARD

Terry E. Barnard, Chairman Brian Owens, Vice Chairman James W. Mills, Member Jacqueline Bunn, Esq., Member David J. Herring, Member

LEGAL SERVICES La'Quandra Smith

EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR Christopher L. Barnett

DEPUTY EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR Rita Rocker

Communications Steve Hayes
Budget & Fiscal Lisa Reid
Human Resources Eris McKennon
Internal Affairs & Training
Chris Kimner
Mental Health & EAP Connie Lerner
Reentry Braxton Cotton

CLEMENCY DIRECTOR
Rick Jacobs

DEPUTY DIRECTOR
Kim PattonJohnson

CAU MANAGER
Crystal Moon

DEPUTY DIRECTOR
Lisa Copeland

INVESTIGATIONS PARDON ADMIN.

HE'S GPEDS

VICTIM SERVICES DIRECTOR
Shalandra D. Robertson

DEPUTY DIRECTOR NOTIFICATIONS
Keir Chapple

DEPUTY DIRECTOR SERVICES
Anita Cloud

VICTIM SERVICE SPECIALIST

PROGRAM COORDINATORS

FIELD SERVICES DIRECTOR
Felecia Holloway

DEPUTY DIRECTOR
Jenna James

DEPUTY DIRECTOR
Alan Smith

GCIC INTERSTATE
ADMIN. STAFF
SCANNING/ IMAGING

DOM'S VIOLATIONS/
SANCTION EXTRADITIONS

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Highlights from FY 2019
Effective/Proven Leadership -- Terry Barnard elected to 5th term as Chairman
During the fiscal year, Parole Board Member Terry E. Barnard was elected by his colleagues on the Board to a fifth term as Chairman and he is currently serving in the leadership position. Since the Board's creation, of the twentytwo members who served as Chairman, only five have served longer in the leadership role than Chairman Barnard. Chairman Barnard's leadership experience continues to serve the state and the citizens of Georgia well. Learn more about Chairman Terry Barnard on page 11.

4 Georgia Board of Pardons and Paroles

David Herring Appointed New Board Member adds to criminal justice experience
David J. Herring was appointed during FY 2019 to serve as one of the five members of the State Board of Pardons and Paroles. Herring, a former Lt. Colonel with the Department of Public Safety was appointed in August of 2018 by Governor Nathan Deal. Herring brings more than twenty-five years of criminal justice experience to his role of determining which parole eligible offenders can be released to serve the remainder of their prison term under community supervision. Learn more about Member David Herring on page 15.

Victim Services Director earns
national recognition
Shalandra Robertson, the director of the Georgia Office of Victim Services, was recognized by the American Probation and Parole
Association (APPA) during FY19. At the APPA Winter Training Conference in Miami, Robertson received the prestigious Joe
Kegans Award for Victim Services in Probation and Parole.

ANNUAL REPORT 2019
Clemency Reorganization
The Clemency Division completed a structural reorganization during the fiscal year to ensure the parole decision making process operates at the most efficient level possible. The Critical Analysis Unit (CAU) was established to begin work on July 1, 2019. The CAU supports the Clemency Division's case preparation process and supports the division's operations through comprehensive audits, analysis and continuous training and development. More information can be found later in the Clemency Division section of this report.
The restructuring plan included streamlining operations and reducing the number of the Georgia Parole Evidence-based Data System (GPEDS) teams from four to three. By combining the teams into specialized areas, the agency is increasing efficiencies and speed while continuing to produce a quality product.
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FY 2019 HIGHLIGHTS

Crime Victims have access to the Parole Board Members
Collaborations with victim-witness assistance programs across Georgia continued in FY19 to provide registered crime victims with services. The five member Parole Board and agency staff concentrated on the delivery of services through the Georgia Office of Victim Services. This office operates as a division of the State Board of Pardons and Paroles and works to ensure registered victims receive post-conviction assistance regarding offenders and their cases.
During the fiscal year the Parole Board and the Georgia Office of Victim Services partnered with victim-witness assistance programs within the district attorney offices in Gainesville and Augusta, hosting and giving crime victims the opportunity to meet with the Parole Board. The meetings involve the Parole Board moving much of its operations to the host cities in order to make the Board as accessible as possible to crime victims. These statewide events are "Victims Visitors' Days." Information received by the Board from victims at these meetings is included in the parole case files making the information available for review by the Board Members when the parole eligible inmates are considered. The meetings allow for victim input prior to the parole decision process.
At the two events, the Parole Board met with 286 crime victims. Information was added to 170 offender case files as a result of meetings with victims and their family members.

Notifications regarding parole ensures quality decisions

In FY19, the Clemency Division of the State Board of Pardons and Paroles made more than 33,000 notifications to stakeholders regarding parole cases. Each notification allows for stakeholder input regarding the pending parole decision. The Board sends notifications required by statute and additional notifications not required by law in an effort to ensure quality parole decisions.
The "Secondary Solicitation of Information" is notification sent to the prosecuting district attorney's office and the judge regarding an offender convicted of a serious felony. The notification is made six months prior to the offender's statutorily mandated parole

eligibility date. The additional communication affords the Board the opportunity to receive the current views and any additional information from the district attorney and the judge in the most serious cases. In FY19, more than 6,000 such notifications were sent, doubling the number sent during the previous fiscal year.
The Board also sent 202 statutory 90-day notifications regarding pending paroles for offenders convicted of a "serious violent felony." This notification gives prosecutors an additional opportunity to convey to the Board any information necessary before the offender is released. This notification covers the offenses known as the "seven deadly sins" which are murder, armed

6 | Georgia Board of Pardons and Paroles

robbery, kidnapping, rape, aggravated child molestation, aggravated sodomy and aggravated sexual battery (O.C.G.A. 17-10-6.1.). The notification is sent a minimum of 90-days in advance of a clemency release for those offenses.
In FY19, the Board added yet another notification process. The Board determined it would send notifications of pending releases in the "serious violent felony" cases (72-hour notification) to the district attorney and sheriff of the county where the parolee would be living, if different from the county of conviction.

Engaging, Educating, Encouraging, Enhancing (Agency's 4 E's guide operations)
In FY19, the agency implemented and again pursued its operational priorities or the 4 E's. Parole Board Members, executive leadership and division staff engaged stakeholders by participating in annual meetings, conferences and training events. Parole staff engaged officials with the Georgia Department of Corrections, the Georgia Department of Community Supervision, the Georgia Association of Chiefs of Police, the Georgia Sheriffs' Association, the Prosecuting Attorneys' Council of Georgia, the Georgia Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers and many others. Through the engagement, the agency continued to foster professional working relationships and an understanding of the Board's constitutional authority and responsibility regarding public safety.
Opportunities were seized to engage and educate stakeholders regarding the parole decision making process. Parole leaders and staff participated in the Department of Corrections' Family Day to educate and encourage inmate families to participate in the offender's reentry plans. Board Members and agency staff routinely participated in inmate program graduations and other events within the prison system at which the offender population was engaged and educated regarding the parole process and encouraged regarding their efforts to be "parole ready."
The agency presented to civic groups across Georgia, educating audiences about parole and its necessary role in the criminal justice process. Parole leadership spoke to groups in Columbus, Gainesville, Reidsville, Forsyth, Macon, Hinesville and Henry County.

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FROM THE CHAIRMAN
TO: The Honorable Brian Kemp, Governor Members of the General Assembly Citizens of the state of Georgia

Enhancing Public Safety through Informed Decision-Making

I am honored to serve as Chairman of the State Board of Pardons and Paroles and to present the Fiscal Year 2019 Annual Report. As in the past several years, Georgia's parole success rate, defined as offenders successfully completing their parole, was among the highest in the nation, as 70 percent completed the remainder of the prison term on parole. To put it into perspective, the national average remains below 60 percent.
Parole success begins with the data-driven, informed parole decision that is evidence-based and incorporates best practices. Parole decisions are supported by thorough investigations into the cases, application of the Board's scientific guidelines and risk assessment tools and a commitment to public safety by each Board Member. Good Board decisions are a product of the hard work by the employees of this agency.
Good parole decisions rely on data. Again in FY 2019, the Board reached out to all affected stakeholders ensuring an open parole process that includes input from prosecutors, law enforcement, the judiciary, victims and the public. During the fiscal year, more than forty-five (45) thousand notifications

regarding parole were sent to stakeholders to include victims. The notifications requested information on the parole eligible offender cases the Board is mandated by state law to consider for parole release. The Board continues to send more than the necessary notifications required by state law.
Another part of an effective parole system is the continued engagement of offenders so they know what is expected of them in order to possibly be paroled. Again last fiscal year, our clemency staff, executive leadership and the five member Parole Board were a presence inside Georgia's prisons in order to educate eligible offenders of expectations.
In FY 2019, the Parole Board enhanced public safety by releasing offenders who prepared themselves for successful reentry by completing their case plan and in many cases achieved success through completion of education based or skills based programming.
Georgia's effective parole process allows the state's finite prison bed allotment to be dedicated to the most serious violent felony population.
Our public safety job doesn't end with the parole decision. In FY 2019, the Board again acted swiftly

when necessary to protect the public by addressing parole violations by offenders and applying appropriate sanctions to include revocation of the offender if necessary.
Parole success is defined by public safety and is not achieved by maintaining the status quo or based on past achievements. We recognize that success and improved public safety is based on planned success and future actions. That's why Georgia's Parole Board continues to develop new risk assessment tools, striving to improve and include more data into the parole decision making process. We continue to make the process as inclusive and transparent as state law will allow.
In addition to reviewing this report, please visit our website www.pap.georgia.gov.
Thank you.
Terry E. Barnard, Chairman State Board of Pardons and Paroles

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ANNUAL REPORT 2019

The Five Member Parole Board

The Georgia Constitution provides that Parole Board Members are to be appointed by the Governor to seven year staggered terms, subject to confirmation by the State Senate. Board Members are full-time state employees from various professions including criminal justice and private business.
In 1943, the Board was established through a constitutional amendment and consisted of three members. In 1973, as the prison population rose to 9,000, the Constitution was amended to increase the Board to five members. Today, as the inmate population exceeds 50,000, the Board still consists of five voting members.
The Board is the sole authority in the state to make informed decisions on which state inmates are deserving of parole, thereby ensuring that the state's prison beds are dedicated to the offenders who have committed the most serious crimes.
In Fiscal Year 2019 (FY19), the Board Members made a total of 86,054 clemency votes. This total represents all Board decisions requiring a vote and

FY19
Clemency Votes
86,054

multiple decisions for each offender case considered during the fiscal year. This total does not reflect the total number

Inmate Cases Considered
24,738

of inmate cases considered. The total number of individual inmate cases (parole

Parolees successfully eligible offenders)

completing parole

considered during

70%

the fiscal year was 24,738. This is the

total number of parole eligible offenders requiring a

board decision as to whether to grant or deny parole.

The Board released from prison a total of 9,455

offenders in FY19. Georgia's percentage of parolees

successfully completing parole in FY19 was 70%. The

national average was estimated to be below 60%.

The Board's authority includes granting paroles, pardons, and commutations including death sentences.
Deciding whether to grant an offender parole is the primary responsibility of the Board. Parole hearings are not held. However, each offender entering the Georgia prison system is interviewed by parole staff. The Board also actively solicits input and accepts pleas for and protests against clemency throughout the consideration process. Information from community stakeholders, including victims, the public and criminal justice partners is considered by the Board. The Board Members have discretion to determine who receives clemency.
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THE FIVE MEMBER PAROLE BOARD

Guidelines are applied to cases excluding offenders serving life
In most cases, the Board's Parole Decision Guidelines Rating System is applied which includes a time-to-serve recommendation. Board Members review the comprehensive case file of each offender and each member individually makes a parole decision. Although the guidelines are not applied to life sentence reviews, the Board maintains a comprehensive parole file in each case and the members review each case thoroughly before voting to grant or deny parole. The Board's decision process is evidence-based, scientific and data driven.
Death Sentences
The review of death sentences is a responsibility of the State Board of Pardons and Paroles. The Board is the only entity in Georgia with the constitutional authority to commute a death sentence. The Governor does not have this authority in Georgia. Board Members conduct a clemency meeting for the condemned inmate after which they may commute a death sentence to life with or without the possibility of parole, issue a stay or deny clemency.
Monthly Board Meetings
The Board conducts monthly Parole Board Meetings at which policy changes are considered and operational updates are provided. Offender cases are not discussed and parole decisions are not made at the monthly Board Meetings.
Learn more about the clemency process beginning on page 18.

Constitution and History
Checks and Balances
Georgia's constitution provides for three branches of government to serve as checks and balances on the power of government over the offender. The legislative branch sets the minimum and maximum range of the prison sentence, the judicial branch sentences the offender within that range, and the Georgia State Board of Pardons and Paroles, as a part of the executive branch, manages the finite resource of state prison beds by considering eligible offenders and making parole grants in the interest of public safety.
History of Parole in Georgia
Parole came to Georgia in 1908 when the General Assembly voted to give the Prison Commission authority to implement a system of "parole or conditional pardons." Parole could be granted upon the approval of the full Commission and the Governor. The Commission had power to issue warrants and arrest parole violators.
In 1938, the Commission was given broader powers to grant paroles without the approval of the Governor and without limitation on its authority, "save the welfare of the State." However, the Commission remained hampered by a shortage of funds. Then in the early 1940s there were serious questions raised about the handling of pardons. The General Assembly passed legislation and it was signed into law in February of 1943, creating the State Board of Pardons and Paroles as an independent agency to administer executive clemency.
In August of 1943, Georgia voters ratified, by a ratio of four and a half to one, a landmark amendment to the State Constitution establishing the State Board of Pardons and Paroles as an independent agency authorized to grant paroles, pardons, reprieves, commute sentences, including death sentences, and remove disabilities imposed by law.

10 | Georgia Board of Pardons and Paroles

PAROLE BOARD MEMBERS
Terry E. Barnard, Chairman
Terry E. Barnard serves as Chairman of the State Board of Pardons and Paroles for Fiscal Year 2020. Mr. Barnard previously served three years as Chairman from July 1, 2014 to June 30, 2017 and he served a fourth term from July 1, 2018 to June 30, 2019. As Parole Board Chairman, Mr. Barnard also serves on the Board of Community Supervision. The board has regulatory oversight of the Department of Community Supervision which is responsible for the supervision of felony offenders on probation and parole in Georgia.
Under Mr. Barnard's leadership as Chairman, enhancements to the parole consideration process have been made including increasing notifications to prosecutors regarding pending board decisions in order to solicit additional case information. Access to the Board and the decision making process has increased for victims and the Board revised its Parole Decision Guidelines Rating System to ensure best practices in parole decision making.
Mr. Barnard, a former State Representative, served nearly sixteen years in the Georgia House of Representatives. The Coastal Georgia lawmaker served as a member of several key House Committees, including the State Institutions and Property Committee, where he served as the Chairman for six years.
Mr. Barnard's legislative experience and knowledge of the Georgia Department of Corrections continues to serve the Board and the citizens of Georgia. In 1995-1996, Mr. Barnard guided through the Georgia House the framework for the State Sex Offender Registry and Sexual Offender Registration Review Board.
Mr. Barnard is a native of Tattnall County and lives in McIntosh County. He is a graduate of Atlantic Community College and has a strong background in business and more than eighteen years of experience in the financial industry. He served as Vice President and Manager of First Citizens Bank of Reidsville and as a Regional Marketing Director for Green Tree Acceptance, a national mortgage lender. He is involved in a local Baptist Church and takes part in many community events and activities.

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PAROLE BOARD MEMBERS
Brian Owens, Vice Chairman
Brian Owens was elected Vice Chairman by his colleagues on the Board for FY 2020. Mr. Owens was appointed to the Board on February 1, 2015, by Governor Nathan Deal. The former Commissioner of the Georgia Department of Corrections began his career as a parole officer in 1993. He was later promoted to assistant chief parole officer and chief parole officer.
In 1999, Mr. Owens joined the Georgia Department of Corrections. He began his career at the department as Director of the Office of Planning and Analysis and was later promoted to Executive Assistant and then to Assistant Commissioner. On January 8, 2009, Mr. Owens was sworn in as Commissioner of the Georgia Department of Corrections by Governor Sonny Perdue. He was reappointed Commissioner by Governor Deal in January of 2011.
As Vice Chairman, Mr. Owens also serves on the Board of Community Supervision. The board has regulatory oversight of the Department of Community Supervision which is responsible for the supervision of felony offenders on probation and parole in Georgia.
Mr. Owens earned his bachelor's degree in Psychology from the University of Georgia.
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James W. Mills, Member
Board Member James W. Mills is from Hall County. He was appointed to the Board by Governor Nathan Deal and was sworn in November 14, 2011. Mr. Mills previously served as Chairman of the Parole Board for FY 2018 and served three one-year terms as Vice Chairman.
The former State Representative served nineteen years in the legislature. He served on numerous committees and he served as Secretary of the Rules Committee and Chairman of the Banks and Banking Committee.
During his legislative service, Mr. Mills sponsored key legislation, including the amendment that placed "IN GOD WE TRUST" on the Georgia state flag and he passed "proof of citizenship when registering to vote" legislation. He also helped to pass the Georgia Mortgage Fraud Law allowing district attorneys to prosecute mortgage fraud and the "Option of Adoption" legislation, the first-of-its-kind in the nation. He was invited to the White House on two occasions as recognition for his tax cutting efforts as a state legislator.
Mr. Mills was named Christian Coalition Legislator of the Year in 2001. In 2007, he was named "Legislator of the Year" by the Georgia Retail Association. He is the recipient of the "Pro-Life Hero Award" from the Georgia Right to Life organization, and in 2007, he was named the Pro-Life Hero Legislator by the Justice Foundation.
Mr. Mills is a successful businessman and three times he has been named to the Atlanta Business Chronicle's Who's Who in Finance.
Mr. Mills graduated from Mercer University in 1985 with a bachelor's degree. In 1990, he received a master's degree from the New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary (N.O.B.T.S.). Mr. Mills is involved in many community youth activities and he's led numerous overseas mission trips through his local church.

ANNUAL REPORT 2019 pap.ga.gov | 13

PAROLE BOARD MEMBERS
Jacqueline Bunn, Esq., Member
Jacqueline Bunn was appointed to complete an unexpired term on the State Board of Pardons and Paroles by Governor Deal, on July 1, 2016. She was reappointed to a full seven year term in December of 2016. In August of 2018, Ms. Bunn was appointed by Governor Deal to the State Commission on Family Violence. The commission works to educate and raise awareness about family violence in Georgia and evaluates the need for additional state services. Ms. Bunn also serves as a member of the Criminal Justice Coordinating Council, serving as the Vice Chairman of the Victims Compensation Board.
Ms. Bunn started her career with the state of Georgia in 1997, as an Assistant Attorney General in the Civil Rights Section for the Georgia Department of Law. She handled hundreds of cases involving the Department of Corrections and the State Board of Pardons and Paroles in state and federal courts, from the trial level through the appellate process, to the United States Supreme Court. From 2006 to 2013, she served as Deputy Director of the Legal Services Unit of the Georgia Department of Public Safety.
In July of 2013, Ms. Bunn was appointed by Governor Deal to serve as the Executive Director of the Criminal Justice Coordinating Council (CJCC). Her extensive experience directly related to Georgia's criminal justice system was a tremendous asset in this role, and resulted in numerous government efficiencies and innovations for the agency.
Ms. Bunn is a member of the Georgia Bar Association and the New Jersey Bar Association and currently serves on the State Bar of Georgia's Promoting Inclusion in the Profession Committee. In 2019, she received the Georgia Bar's Thomas R. Burnside, Jr. Excellence in Bar Leadership Award. Ms. Bunn is a member of the Georgia Association of Black Women Attorneys (GABWA). During her presidential year, GABWA received the prestigious President's Cup, the highest award given to a local bar association by the State Bar. Ms. Bunn is also a member of the Henry Toll Fellowship Program Class of 2016.
Ms. Bunn is a native Georgian. She completed both her undergraduate degree in broadcast journalism, with general honors, and her law degree on full academic scholarships from the University of Georgia. She is licensed to practice law in all of the state and federal courts in Georgia and New Jersey. She has worked in private law firms in Atlanta, Georgia, Westfield, New Jersey, and Princeton, New Jersey.
14 | Georgia Board of Pardons and Paroles

David J. Herring, Member
David J. Herring was appointed to the State Board of Pardons and Paroles on August 1, 2018, by Governor Deal.
Mr. Herring joined the Georgia Department of Public Safety in 1994 as a state trooper and has served the state of Georgia for over twenty-five years. During his tenure as a state trooper, Mr. Herring served as team security for the University of Georgia Football Program, member of the State of Georgia S.W.A.T. Team and most recently as a Lt. Colonel managing security details for the offices of Governor, Lt. Governor, Speaker of the House and Chief Justice.
Mr. Herring received the Governor's Public Safety Award for Heroism in 2001 and was recognized by the Gainesville Kiwanis Club as Trooper of the Year in 2004. He is a member of the 2014 Leadership Georgia Class.
Mr. Herring graduated from the University of Mississippi in 1992 with a bachelor's degree in Public Administration. Mr. Herring and his wife reside in Hall County and are members of their local church.

ANNUAL REPORT 2019

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EXECUTIVE LEADERSHIP

Christopher Barnett Executive Director of Parole

Executive Director Christopher Barnett was appointed to the position in August of 2015 after serving as Interim Director and guiding the Board through a significant reorganization as parole supervision transitioned to the new Department of Community Supervision.
Director Barnett continues to strengthen relationships with community stakeholders and criminal justice partners and informing Georgians about the parole consideration process.
Director Barnett joined the Georgia Parole Board in 2003 as a

parole officer in the Marietta Parole District. Promotions to senior parole officer, assistant chief parole officer, field operations officer, senior field operations officer and statewide program manager followed. In May of 2013, he was promoted to regional director, supervising all operations and parole districts within the Northeast Region.
Mr. Barnett is a native of Hinesville, Georgia. He has a bachelor's degree in Criminal Justice and a Master of Public Administration from Georgia Southern University.

Rita Rocker Deputy Executive Director of Parole

Rita Rocker was appointed Deputy Executive Director on June 1, 2015.
Ms. Rocker began her career in 1989 as an accounting clerk with the Engineering Unit of the Georgia Department of Corrections. She then worked in the Food & Farm Unit, before being promoted to unit manager of the Property/Inventory & Audits Unit.
In 1997, Ms. Rocker transferred to the State Board of Pardons and Paroles as an operations auditor with responsibilities to examine each of the Board's primary operations identifying areas

for improvement. Her success resulted in a promotion to unit manager. In 2010, she was promoted to Director of Government Relations, leading the Board through several legislative cycles as criminal justice reforms were implemented in Georgia.
Ms. Rocker graduated from Georgia Southern University with a Bachelor of Business Administration in Finance. She later attended the Georgia Law Enforcement Command College at Columbus State University earning a Master of Public Administration.

16 | Georgia Board of Pardons and Paroles

LETTER FROM THE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR

ANNUAL REPORT 2019

It has been my great honor to serve as Executive Director of the State Board of Pardons and Paroles during Fiscal Year 2019.
After more than four (4) years as Executive Director, overseeing the day-to-day operations of the agency, I am still amazed by the level of professionalism, dedication to quality and commitment to enhancing public safety displayed by each member of this agency. These attributes combined with a drive to be the number one clemency decision making agency in the nation, has led the agency to achieve a number of positive changes this past year. Many of these operational enhancements will be highlighted throughout this annual report. However, these enhancements would not be possible without the support of a strong, mission focused Board. As a result, Georgians are experiencing enhanced public safety in every corner of the State.
As an executive clemency team, we continue to explore methods of improving an already superior clemency consideration process (pre and post release) and improving operations in all areas (Clemency Operations, Field Services and Victim Services Divisions).
In FY19, the Clemency Division continued its move to streamline operations, while maintaining the highest quality standards for the investigation, evaluation,

rating and presentation of cases to the Parole Board for consideration. This ensures the Board has the most complete picture available of the individual under consideration, which provides the Board with the confidence to make informed clemency decisions.
Likewise, the Field Services Division has continued to work hand-in-hand with our partners at the Department of Community Supervision (DCS) to be proactive in the oversight of parolees in Georgia, ensuring, as an agency, we are responding appropriately to release condition violations utilizing the most up-to-date scientific and evidence based practices. There is certainly a clear message from the Field Services Division to parolees being supervised in our communities: take advantage of the awesome opportunity you have been provided, as any violation of release conditions will result in swift and certain sanctions, up to and including a return to prison via a clemency release revocation.
Again in FY19, the Board made the protection of victim rights and full inclusion of victims in the clemency consideration process a primary priority. The Board made themselves available to meet with victims one-on-one in private settings during Victims Visitors' Days held throughout the State. On these special days, the Board moves most of its operations to a host

community in Georgia to meet with victims in their communities. The Department of Corrections (GDC) and Department of Community Supervision (DCS) are integral partners in this effort and work side-by-side with parole staff to make these events a true success. However, none of this would be possible without the victim services' professionals in the Georgia Office of Victim Services. The Georgia Office of Victim Services continues to serve the Department of Corrections, Parole Board, Department of Community Supervision and our communities throughout the State by hosting/ attending many victim oriented programs and ensuring every victim has a voice in the post-conviction process.
In closing, the State Board of Pardons and Paroles continues to focus its efforts on improving public safety for all Georgians through the professional administration of executive clemency. It is the goal of the operations team to ensure Georgia remains among the safest States to live, work and raise a family. In all we do, a single question is asked, "Does this change benefit, improve and enhance public safety?" Public safety; always the first consideration!
Christopher Barnett, Executive Director of Parole

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Clemency / Parole Consideration Process

For a fifth consecutive year, parole releases decreased during FY19. Meanwhile, prison commitments increased for a third consecutive year. The Parole Board released 9,455 offenders from prison through all forms of clemency to include releasing inmates on parole during the fiscal year. This total represented 908 fewer releases from the previous fiscal year.

In Georgia, clemency encompasses the parole decision making process. Clemency also pertains to the granting or denying of pardons and restoration of civil and political rights by the Parole Board. The Parole Board holds the sole constitutional authority to grant

executive clemency to a condemned inmate. In Georgia, no inmate is

entitled to parole, however by law; most are eligible for consideration

and therefore must be considered by the Parole Board.

As a result of data driven parole decisions, Georgia's scientific pa-

role consider-

ation process keeps the

FY 2019 Parole Releases

public safe

13,520 13,374 10,468 10,363 9,455

and assists the

Department

of Correc-

tions in keep-

ing the finite

number of

prison beds

dedicated for the most seri-

FY15 FY16 FY17 FY18 FY19

ous offenders.

The annual cost avoidance to the state, due to offenders being under

parole supervision as opposed to housing them in prison, was more

than $433,000,000 for FY19.

18 | Georgia Board of Pardons and Paroles

ANNUAL REPORT 2019

Parole Consideration and Decisions
Parole Board Members independently reach their decisions after reviewing a comprehensive electronic case file on the eligible offender. The file generally includes investigative reports, reports from the Department of Corrections, the offender's criminal history, circumstances of current offenses, information from the district attorney, victims and other stakeholders. The Clemency Division provides a thorough assessment and a recommended number of months-to-serve based upon the application of the Parole Decision Guidelines Rating System, if applicable. (Information contained in the parole case file can be found on page 21 of this report.)
Eligible inmates are automatically considered for parole. Three of the five board members must agree on a decision. In FY19, there were 26,450 offender files

initiated for consideration by the Clemency Division. For more information on parole eligibility and the Parole Decision Guidelines Rating System visit: www. pap.georgia.gov.
GPEDS Electronic Case Management (Formerly the Clemency
Online Navigation System)
The process of preparing a case for consideration by the Board is completed electronically in GPEDS (Georgia Parole Evidence-based Data System). GPEDS is effective and efficient allowing Board Members to access the offender's case material and make clemency decisions electronically. The Parole Board has eliminated the production of paper files and continues imaging remaining paper files.
The agency has completed the process of submit-

ting life-sentenced inmate cases to the Board electronically. By eliminating paper files on these cases and submitting them electronically, the Clemency Division's process is more efficient. Now all parole eligible inmate cases in Georgia may be voted electronically by the Board.
GPEDS has significantly improved the agency's business processes. The electronic case file is established in GPEDS after the sentence package is electronically received from the Department of Corrections. Electronic notifications trigger actions moving the case toward a Board decision.
GPEDS generates notifications to judges, prosecutors, and law enforcement regarding clemency actions pending on parole eligible offender cases. Notifications are also generated to wardens and inmates regarding board decisions. Please see additional information

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CLEMENCY / PAROLE CONSIDERATION PROCESS

regarding statutory and other notifications made by the Board later in this report.
In FY19, 33,612 notifications (all types) were generated by GPEDS. There were 7,109 preconditions to parole imposed by the Board on inmates during the fiscal year.
Realignment of the GPEDS Teams During FY19, the Clemency Division initiated a restructuring plan, streamlining operations and reducing the number of the GPEDS teams from four to three. The new alignment began operations on July 1, 2019. By combining the GPEDS teams into specialized areas, the agency can increase efficiencies and speed while continuing to produce a quality product. Each team focuses their attention on a specific task within the parole process.
The Parole Consideration Process
After the agency receives an offender's sentencing information electronically from the Department of Corrections, parole investigators collect details of conviction offenses, interview inmates for personal history statements and complete post sentence investigations.
For cases other than a life sentence, hearing examin-
20 | Georgia Board of Pardons and Paroles

ers review all of the information contained in the investigations conducted by parole investigators. In order to make equitable recommendations to the Board Members, hearing examiners process and prepare rating summaries utilizing the agency's Parole Decision Guidelines Rating System.
Following the hearing examiner's review, the cases and recommendations are electronically forwarded to the Board Members for consideration. Board Members then individually consider each case and vote electronically. The members may agree with the time-to-serve recommendation provided by the Parole Decision Guidelines Rating System or they may deviate from the recommendation by increasing or decreasing the number of months to be served before parole is granted. The Board also has the authority to deny parole.
Parole Decision Guidelines Rating System
When considering parole for those offenders who will become statutorily eligible for parole consideration and who are serving less than a life sentence, the Board reviews a recommendation of months, or a percent-

age of the sentence, to serve. This recommendation is obtained from the Parole Decision Guidelines Rating System or the guidelines. The guidelines account for the severity of the crime and the offender's risk to reoffend. The offender's risk to reoffend is determined by weighted factors concerning the offender's criminal and social history that the Board has found to have value in predicting the probability of further criminal behavior.
Revisions to the guidelines were completed in 2017. Updates included raising the crime severity level of certain conviction types. The higher the crime severity level, the more serious the offense and the likely result is a recommendation for the offender to serve a longer period of time prior to parole. On the risk to reoffend scale, the Board now includes prior arrest episodes in place of conviction history for the offender. Research has proven arrests to be a better statistical predictor of future criminal behavior. The updated guidelines take into account statewide sentencing averages and parole decisions by previous boards. More information regarding the Board's application of the current Parole Decision Guidelines Rating System can be found at www.pap.georgia.gov/parole-consideration-eligibility.

What information is considered when determining who gets paroled?
In a guidelines case, the recommendation is derived from application of the Parole Decision Guidelines Rating System regarding the time the offender should serve prior to parole or if the offender should be denied parole and serve the entire prison sentence. The Board considers the recommendation and decides whether to agree. Because the Board has constitutional authority and discretion to determine parole, the following is information that may be in the parole file that the Board Members can consider when determining if an eligible inmate receives parole:
aggravating circumstances victim impact statements prosecutor/judicial statements legal investigations including details/
circumstances of the crime(s) the parole guidelines recommendation, if
applicable inmate progress reports inmate interviews program completions/failures prison conduct inmate disciplinary reports amount of the prison sentence served inmate's mental health status and progress if probation is to be served after confinement offender's age at the crime commit date prior parole considerations number of prior arrests number of prior felonies prior revocations prior incarcerations personal history statement parole release plan

ANNUAL REPORT 2019
Many documents in the parole file on the offender are public. They may include (if applicable to the offender) but are not limited to:
sentencing documents notifications to the offender regarding the Board's decision notice of consideration for parole prior to serving one-third of the sentence (only if applicable) notice of the final decision to parole correspondence sent by the Board in response to an offender's correspondence or in response to
correspondence sent on behalf of the offender parole certificate notice of the preliminary revocation hearing the preliminary hearing summary the waiver of the preliminary revocation hearing notice of the final revocation hearing the waiver of the final revocation hearing revocation orders the public portion of the revocation hearing recording court production orders detainers subpoenas Board arrest warrants the certificate of discharge from parole the pardon order restoration of political and civil rights order commutation order Board orders in death penalty cases
Documents protected by Georgia law from public disclosure include but are not limited to:
victim correspondence the offender's medical information GCIC/NCIC reports the hearing examiner's executive summary of the offender's case the Board ballot the offender's residence plan verification correspondence to the Board including from those opposing parole for the offender parole investigations pardon application petition for commutation of a death sentence
pap.ga.gov | 21

CLEMENCY / PAROLE CONSIDERATION PROCESS

Tentative Parole Months
(excludes inmates serving life with parole eligibility) After receiving the case from the hearing examiner, a Tentative Parole Month (TPM) is set when three of the five board members agree on a specific amount of time that the offender should serve before being granted parole. Inmates receive written notification of the Board's decision. The Tentative Parole Month or "tentative grant" can be rescinded at any time. The TPM is not a release date or a final parole release decision. An inmate's TPM status is available on the agency's website. The Inmate TPM Lookup (Offender/Inmate Parole Status) link is located on the home page at www.pap.georgia.gov.
22 | Georgia Board of Pardons and Paroles

Georgia Department of Corrections' Performance Incentive Credit (PIC) Program
The Georgia Department of Corrections operates an inmate Performance Incentive Credit (PIC) program. By completing rehabilitative programming while incarcerated, state inmates can work toward an earlier possible parole release. The Parole Board determines which parole eligible inmates who have earned PIC may be allowed an earlier release on parole. The PIC program prepares offenders for success after release and assists the state in better utilization of prison beds at a cost savings to taxpayers.
Inmates deemed eligible by the Department of Corrections for the PIC program may have their TPM (Tentative Parole Month) advanced a few months by

PICs Awarded

FY17 23,958

FY18

35,839

FY19

37,012

completing educational, vocational, and treatment programs and work details during their incarceration. The Parole Board Members have discretion to determine if an inmate who has earned PIC through program completions will have his/her established TPM moved to an earlier date. If the Board grants earned PIC to an inmate, the TPM is updated and the process toward a final release decision continues.
In FY19, the Parole Board members granted 37,012 PIC or PIC points to state inmates who had earned them by completing specific programming and work details. Each PIC point equals one month that a TPM can be changed to an earlier date.
Final Review Process
As the TPM approaches, the hearing examiner will conduct a final review of the offender's case file. The final review determines if there is any reason a release date should not be set. Parole could be delayed or denied as a result of the offender not completing required programming, prison misconduct, or because of detainers, warrants or new sentences. A release date that is set can be rescinded at any time prior to the release.
Statutory and Board Notifications
The parole consideration process in Georgia allows for correspondence about the case to be sent to the Board at any time during the offender's incarceration up to the point of a parole release. The Board solicits

A NANNUNAU LA LR RE EPPOORRTT 220011 9

information by sending notifications to stakeholders including victims, judges and prosecutors throughout the process.
Registered victims of a crime are given notification at the time the Board is considering a parole release, allowing for a period of time for the victim to send the Board information about the case. (O.C.G.A. 17-17-13)
Registered crime victims may also use an automated system to call and receive an offender status update.
(Review GA-V.I.P. at https://pap.georgia.gov/ victim-information-program-vip)
The state's prosecutors routinely provide information to the Board regarding cases. During the post-sentence investigation conducted by parole investigators,

Life Sentence Time Served for Serious Violent Felonies Parole Eligible Offenders

AVG. TIME SERVED (years)

30 25 20 15 10
5 0 1973

2000

2010

2019

In 1973, life-sentenced inmates convicted of serious violent felonies served less than nine years in prison, on average, before being released from prison. By year 2000, the average had risen to more than 15 years. By 2010, the average time served on a life sentence was nearly 20 years and in 2019, a life-sentenced inmate served an average of 24.9 years in prison prior to being released.

State Law and Life Sentences

Since 1995, there have been two statutory changes pertaining to serious violent felonies that determine the minimum amount of the sentence to be served to become parole eligible for offenders sentenced to life with parole eligibility. If a crime considered to be a "seven deadly sin" was committed prior to 1995, the offender is eligible after seven years. In 1995, offenders committing these crimes became eligible after serving fourteen years. If the crime is committed after July 1, 2006, the offender is eligible for parole after serving thirty years.

FY 2019 Parole Decisions for Parole Eligible Inmates Serving Life Sentences



188 Granted

1,620 Denied

pap.ga.gov | 23

CLEMENCY / PAROLE CONSIDERATION PROCESS

the judge and the district attorney have the opportunity to provide information and their view of the case.
In order to ensure the Board has current information about the cases, the Board sends a notification to judges and district attorneys six months prior to specific offenders becoming parole eligible. The Board sends the "second solicitation/notification" to the judge and district attorney informing them that the Board is preparing the case for statutory parole consideration and is requesting information about the case. For FY19, 6,221 second solicitations/notifications were sent to judges and prosecutors. These notifications are sent regarding offenders convicted of serious felonies. The offenses included in this notification process can be found at https://pap.georgia.gov/parole-processgeorgia-0.
As a result of legislation enacted in 2017, the Parole Board notifies the district attorney if an offender

convicted of a serious violent felony is being considered for parole release. This notification is made at a minimum of 90-days prior to the final decision to parole. Those serious violent felonies are murder, armed robbery, kidnapping, rape, aggravated child molestation, aggravated sodomy, and aggravated sexual battery. The Board, according to the statute, also gives the offender being considered, an opportunity to submit information. This additional notification allows for another opportunity for the Parole Board Members to receive additional information or current community views regarding the scheduled parole for the offender. In FY19, the Board sent 90-day notifications in 202 cases. (O.C.G.A. 17-10-6.1.) & (O.C.G.A. 42-943(c) (1)). Judges, district attorneys, sheriffs (of the county of residence prior to arrest and the county of conviction) and registered victims also receive a 72-hour statutory notification that the offender is about to be paroled. The Board may receive information about the case during this period. (O.C.G.A. 42-9-47). In FY19, the Clemency Division finalized a process to send the 72-hour notification in "serious violent felony" cases to the district attorney and sheriff of the county where the offender is being released to, if different from the county of conviction. The additional

notifications began July 1, 2019. If released on parole, parole certificates are forward-
ed to the clerks of court for each docket the inmate received parole.
Life Sentence Parole Considerations for inmates who are parole eligible according to state law
Inmates serving a life sentence are considered when they become eligible under Georgia law (see State Law and Life Sentences). Unlike other offenders, the Board's guidelines are not used and a TPM is not the result of the Board's decision. The Board's decision is either to grant or deny parole. If parole is denied to an inmate serving life, the Board, by policy, will reconsider the case again at least once every eight years. The duration between considerations is a decision made by the Board. Inmates serving life who have been denied parole and have a scheduled reconsideration date may receive expedited parole reviews if the Board receives new information that warrants an earlier review. A parole eligible inmate serving a life sentence who receives a "grant" parole decision may be required to complete a Department of Corrections' work release program as a precondition to parole.
Pardon Administration Unit
The Parole Board's pardon application and decision making process includes thorough pardon investigations and provides the most comprehensive information available to assist the Board in making quality pardon decisions. A pardon does not expunge, remove or erase crimes from a person's criminal record. A pardon is an order of official forgiveness and may be granted to individuals who have maintained a good reputation in their community and have remained crime free for a required period of years following the completion of their sentence(s), to include parole or probation.

24 | Georgia Board of Pardons and Paroles

ANNUAL REPORT 2019

The pardon process is continuously reviewed in order to ensure informed decisions are the result. The current application requires applicants to provide information including their version of criminal offenses, justification for why they should be considered for a pardon, including a description of how they have contributed to their community.
Applicants seeking a pardon for offenses requiring registration on Georgia's Sex Offender Registry must be crime free for ten years following the completion of all sentences, as opposed to five years for all other conviction types. As a part of the application process, these applicants must also provide a current copy of their most recent risk level evaluation as assigned by the Sexual Offender Registration Review Board (SORRB), provide a psychosexual evaluation, and submit to a disclosure polygraph.
A state law adopted in 2015 created a notification process informing registered victims and prosecutors, in specific cases, when an offender is seeking a pardon. This allows victims and prosecutors the opportunity to

send the Board information about the case. The Parole Board exceeds the statutory requirements and sends these notifications regarding all applications received. During FY19, the Parole Board sent 484 notifications to registered victims and district attorneys regarding ex-offenders applying for pardons.
In FY19, 662 pardon and restoration of rights applications were received and 577 were granted (all types). There were fifteen more applications received during the fiscal year compared to the previous year. There were 95 more grants in FY19 than the previous fiscal year.
Clemency (Parole and Criminal) Investigators
Parole investigators conduct and complete investigations collecting information about the offender's conviction offenses. The process includes interviewing inmates for personal history statements and completing post sentence investigations.

Fifty-three (53) parole investigators work in the Clemency Division. Forty-four (44) investigators are assigned to the field and predominantly complete post sentence investigations and profiles for all offenders sentenced by Georgia courts. Nine (9) investigators are assigned to work within the prisons to conduct personal history statements on inmates during the diagnostic process at which time they will interview inmates.
The Board has six criminal investigators who conduct face-to-face interviews of ex-offenders seeking restoration of firearm rights and inmates serving a life sentence with the possibility of parole. The P.O.S.T. (Georgia Peace Officer Standards and Training Council) certified investigators utilize their experience and interviewing techniques to collect necessary information required by the Board Members in order to make decisions in these cases.
In FY19, the clemency investigators completed 38,256 investigations for the Parole Board.

Pardon Administration Unit FY19
662 Applications received (all types) 202 Pardons granted without firearms
being restored
265 Pardons granted with firearms being restored 93 Restorations of civil and political rights 17 Restorations of civil and political rights with firearms restored
577 Total applications granted (including applications filed in previous year)

Fiscal Year Clemency Actions

Parole Certificates............................................. 6,835 Out-of-State Parole Orders....................................354 Conditional Transfers...........................................945 Out-of-State Conditional Transfers.........................223 Supervised Reprieves ...........................................951 Out-of-State Supervised Reprieves.......................... 21 Commutations........................................................ 0 Medical Reprieves................................................. 25 Out-of-State ICE Orders.........................................101 Total Prison Releases by Parole......................... 9,455

Total Discharges from Parole............................. 8,005 Total Guidelines Decisions............................... 15,535 Life Sentence Cases Denied Parole.................... 1,620 Life Sentence Cases Granted Parole......................188 Total Life Sentence Case Decisions.................... 1,808 Restoration of Civil and Political Rights Granted .....................................................110 Pardon Grants......................................................467 Total Pardons & Restorations Granted...................577 Preliminary Revocation Hearings ..........................294 Final Revocation Hearings.....................................309

pap.ga.gov | 25

CLEMENCY / PAROLE CONSIDERATION PROCESS

Critical Analysis Unit
The mission of the Critical Analysis Unit (CAU) is to investigate, prepare and submit specialized parole eligible cases to the Board for consideration and to support the operations of the Clemency Division through comprehensive audits, analysis and continuous training and development.
Analyzing, understanding and providing information to the Board regarding crime trends and criminal behaviors is important to the Board in order to make an informed decision regarding a release. CAU personnel are on call 24-hours a day, seven days a week, assisting the Clemency Division with operations and involving pre-crisis planning, response to critical incidents and major investigations involving parole eligible offenders housed in the Georgia Department of Corrections. This unit collaborates with the Georgia Department of Corrections regarding Security Threat Groups (STG), gang offenders, offenders with Immigration and Customs detainers and those offenders who are classified with medical requirements in order to provide Parole Board Members with critical case information prior to the parole decision.
The CAU's responsibilities include: 1. Managing the operational plan for the
Clemency Division's intelligence functions, including the mission, goals, and objectives, as a guide to submitting cases to the Board. 2. Researching and analyzing data in order to develop forecasts, estimates and models to support recommendations. 3. Developing and coordinating proficiency training and audits in the various units within the Clemency Division in order to maintain effective and efficient operations.

PAROLE PROCESS PRE-DECISION

CONVICTION
1 Sentence computed by DOC Offender Administration sent to the Board

CASE
"INITIALIZED"
2 Parole Eligibility Date (PED) set and legal investigations ordered

INVESTIGATIONS Parole Investigator
3 Initial DA input is solicited at time the legal is written for all offenses

6 MONTHS BEFORE PED Secondary solicitation
4 notifications sent to DAs and judges for the most serious violent and sexual offenders

PAROLE

HEARING

5

ELIGIBILITY DATE OCGA 42.9.45(b) 42.9.46(1/3)

6

EXAMINER Prepare case for board consideration

7 BOARD CONSIDERATION
PAROLE PROCESS POST-DECISION

8 TENTATIVE PAROLE MONTH ESTABLISHED

INMATE NOTIFIED
9 FIRST PER BOARD RULES

90-DAY
10 NOTIFICATION To DA if a "Serious Violent Felony"

VICTIMS NOTIFIED
11 Office of Victim Services registered victims notified

FINAL REVIEW
Institutional conduct,
12 program completion, new victim, DA, judge or
stakeholder input

VICTIMS & DA
13 Case reviews verifying notification

72 HR NOTIFICATION
14 Pending release OCGA 42.9.41 & OCGA 42.9.44(a)

15 RELEASE

26 | Georgia Board of Pardons and Paroles

ANNUAL REPORT 2019

Field Services Division

The mission of the Field Services Division is to effectively and efficiently manage the processes related to Parole Violations, Parole Commutations, and Parole Interstate Compact. The Field Services Division ensures that violations of parole conditions by offenders are quickly addressed. If necessary, the offender's parole is revoked and the offender is returned to prison. In addition, if a parolee meets specific requirements that are set forth by the Board, a request for commutation can be submitted to the Board. The district operations managers manage the revocation, commutation, and Interstate Compact processes for the Board. The Field Services Division is comprised of four units: The Scanning and Imaging Unit, the Warrant/GCIC Entry Unit, the Violations/Commutations Unit, and the Interstate Compact Unit.

Parole Completion Rates (National figures from Bureau of Justice Statistics) 80%

70% Georgia
60% U.S.A.
50%

40% FY15

FY16

FY17

FY18

FY19 Parole Population
During Fiscal Year 2019 (FY19), the population of offenders on parole under community supervision decreased from 22,047 on July 1, 2018, to 20,719 on June 30, 2019. The number of offenders discharged from parole was 8,005. The percentage of successful parole completion was 70% for the fiscal year. The cumulative number of offenders under parole supervision in Georgia during the fiscal year was 32,057. Offenders released on parole are supervised by the Department of Community Supervision.

Parole Violations
The Parole Board enhances public safety by quickly responding to offenders who violate the conditions of their parole. Violations of parole consist of new criminal charges (felony and misdemeanor) and technical violations related to failing to follow the conditions of their parole. The offenders who violate the

FY19
pap.ga.gov | 27

FIELD SERVICES DIVISION

terms of their release risk returning to prison having demonstrated that they are not willing to comply with their conditions of parole. When a violation occurs, the supervising officer generates a report detailing the delinquent behavior. Upon receipt of the report, the district operations manager conducts a thorough case investigation to determine what action the Board should take in the best interest of public safety. Based on the investigation, the district operations manager makes a recommendation to the Board. The recommendation could be treatment referral up to revocation of parole.
Warrants/GCIC
State law authorizes the Parole Board Members to issue warrants for the arrest of alleged parole violators. Upon notification that an offender has violated the conditions of release, the district operations manager reviews the violations and the case history to determine if a Board Warrant should be issued to immediately place the offender into custody. In FY19, a total of 7,422 warrants were issued by the Parole Board.
If the offender cannot be immediately located, the Parole Board Warrant is then placed in the Georgia Crime Information Center (GCIC) system or the National Crime Information Center system (NCIC).
28 | Georgia Board of Pardons and Paroles

Both systems are connected to the Criminal Justice Information System (CJIS) database that is used by law enforcement agencies for wanted person entry. In FY19, the GCIC Unit entered 4,196 warrants into the GCIC/NCIC system. By accessing the system, law enforcement agencies know if an offender should be taken into custody.

Parole Revocations FY15-FY19 2,655 2,505 2,681 2,525 2,720

Revocations & Parole Revocation Hearings

FY15 FY16 FY17 FY18 FY19

During FY19, the Board revoked 2,720 parole violators returning offenders to prison to serve their sentences in confinement. The number revoked increased by 195 from the previous fiscal year. Of the FY19 total number of revocations, less than 1% were revoked on the basis of technical violations which include, but not limited to; drug use, curfew violations, or failure to pay fines and fees. Revocation can occur during a Parole Revocation Hearing, when the offender signs a waiver to a revocation hearing, or automatic revocation if the conditions exist according to O.C.G.A. 42-9-51.
The appropriate recommendations and enforcement of intermediate sanctions, such as treatment referral,

administrative hearings, electronic monitoring or GPS monitoring, day reporting centers and parole detention centers results in the low percentage of technical parole violators being revoked and returned to prison. The purpose of intermediate sanctions is to bring the offenders who are not a threat to public safety back into compliance with their parole conditions.
Upon the establishment of probable cause, Parole Revocation Hearings are held to address violations of parole. Parole Board Members conducted 309 final revocation hearings during FY19. Each hearing is presided over by an individual Board Member who hears all of the evidence in the case and makes a recommen-

ANNUAL REPORT 2019

dation to the full Board to either revoke parole and return the offender to prison or continue parole and community supervision. Most offenders facing parole revocation proceedings admit their parole violations and sign a waiver to be returned to prison eliminating a final hearing.
District operations managers are responsible for scheduling and managing the Parole Revocation Hearing process. Parole Revocation Hearings are conducted from the Board's central office in Atlanta via video conferencing or in person at the Georgia Diagnostic and Classification Prison in Jackson. For video conference hearings, the offender, the officer of record and the Board Member may be in different locations. Use of this technology has reduced travel costs for all three agencies involved in the process; the Parole Board, the Department of Corrections and the Department of Community Supervision.
Commutations
The State Board of Pardons and Paroles may grant other forms of clemency to meet special needs of the criminal justice system. The Parole Board has the authority to commute an offender's sentence to time served. This includes offenders serving parole. Offenders serving parole may petition to have their prison sentences commuted by the Board. Senate Bill 174, passed in 2017, included a provision requiring the Board to consider commuting the sentences of specific offenders serving a split sentence who have successfully completed twelve (12) consecutive months of parole supervision (O.C.G.A. 42-8-21). Under provisions of the legislation, offenders must have probation to serve following the prison portion of their sentence. The district operations managers conduct a thorough investigation of cases meeting the criteria for consideration by the Board. During FY 2019, the Parole Board considered 2,344 cases for commutation under SB174 and commuted 144 cases that met the strict criteria of the Board. Under SB174, the prison/parole portion of

the sentence ends and the case transfers to probation supervision.
District Operations Managers
District operations managers thoroughly investigate alleged parole violations and commutation requests and determine what appropriate actions are to be recommended to the Board in the interest of public safety. This may include that a Board Warrant be issued in order to take an offender into custody or a request for additional investigative information. District operations managers are assigned to the ten (10) Judicial Districts in the state of Georgia and are an integral link between the Board and the Department of Community Supervision (DCS), as it relates to parole violators and commutations.
District operations managers are P.O.S.T. certified officers and P.O.S.T. certified general and or firearm instructors. In addition to managing the parole violations, revocation and commutation process, they provide training to other law enforcement and perform Board

security and special law enforcement details. They are required to annually complete 20 hours of P.O.S.T. training which includes weapons requalification.
Interstate Compact
The State Board of Pardons and Paroles, in FY19, was a member of the Interstate Commission for Adult Offender Supervision (ICAOS). ICAOS is responsible for creating and upholding the rules of the Commission. ICAOS is comprised of all 50 states, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico and the United States Virgin Islands.
The State Board of Pardons and Paroles' Interstate Compact Unit is responsible for processing the transfer of all Georgia inmates paroling to an out-of-state residence. In addition, the unit responded to violations, conducted probable cause hearings, handled extraditions and addressed victim issues relating to these cases. During FY19, the unit released 509 offenders to out-of-state supervision. As of June 30, 2019, there were 2,323 Georgia offenders under active parole

pap.ga.gov | 29

FIELD SERVICES DIVISION

Cost Avoidance

The graph below for FY15-FY19 shows costs

of incarceration versus cost of supervision,

per day, for state of Georgia.

Cost per day

Incarceration

Parole

FY
15 $4.49
FY
16 $3.54
FY
17 $2.12
FY
18 $2.11
FY
19 $2.18

$52.81 $52.95 $53.76
$61.00 $61.73

Fiscal Year Cost Avoidance
The fiscal year cost avoidance is calculated based on the FY19 cost per day to incarcerate a state inmate in Georgia ($61.73) compared to the community supervision cost per day ($2.18). In FY19, the annual cost avoidance to the prison system as a result of offenders serving their sentence on parole is calculated at more than
$433 million.
FY18 $450 million
FY17 $377 million
FY16 $450 million
FY15 $451 million

supervision in Compact states and 1,339 other Compact state offenders on parole supervision in Georgia. Another responsibility of the unit is to release foreign national offenders to Immigration and Customs Enforce-
ment (ICE) detainers. Via the ICE Rapid REPAT (Removal of Eligible Parolees Accepted for Transfer) Program, 100 foreign national offenders were released to ICE for deportation at an estimated cost avoidance of $5,617,178.
Scanning and Imaging
The Scanning and Imaging Unit has an integral role in the Parole Board's transition to a paperless environment. During FY19, 35,783 documents were scanned into the case management systems (Portal, GPEDS and TRIM system) utilized by the Board to make parole decisions. This unit images offender documents that are generated daily, to include correspondence, revocation documents and victim notifications. There were 1,945 active lifer offender parole files scanned and 11,854 archived files imaged during the fiscal year. There are approximately 158,582 archived files remaining to be imaged. Upon completion, all of the Parole Board's files will be accessible electronically.
FY19 New Direction Recovery Program
The New Direction Recovery Program located at the Treutlen Probation Detention Center is an intensive addiction program for parolees who are both higher risk and higher need offenders who were not successful in community-based treatment and supervision. The Parole Board utilizes the program as an alternative to revocation for some offenders. FY19 was the program's first complete year in operation. For FY19, 115 parolees were referred to the program. As of June 30, 2019, 116 parolees had graduated from the program during the fiscal year and were returned to parole supervision. Some graduates were enrolled during the previous fiscal year.

30 | Georgia Board of Pardons and Paroles

ANNUAL REPORT 2019

Georgia Office of Victim Services

The Georgia Office of Victim Services (GOVS) ensures the registered crime victim's voice is heard throughout the parole process.
This office serves registered crime victims regarding offenders in prison or under community supervision. The office provides victims with updates pertaining to the parole status of the offender and notifies registered victims if an offender is being considered for parole and if the offender is released from confinement.
This office operates the Georgia Victim Information Program or GA-V.I.P. This is a 24-hour automated information system which provides crime victims and their families with access to information about the offender.
In conjunction with the Parole Board, the GOVS also serves crime victims by conducting Victims Visitors' Days.
The office represents three state agencies which are the State Board of Pardons and Paroles, the Department of Corrections and the Department of Community Supervision.
The office corresponds with victims and receives information directly from crime victims. In FY19, 10,485 phone calls from victims were handled by staff, 16,660 outgoing correspondences were sent to victims in response to concerns and 8,483 correspondences were received from victims and filed with the office.

Georgia Victim Information Program or GA-V.I.P.
GA-V.I.P. is a 24-hour automated information system providing registered crime victims and/or their family members, with access to information about their

Georgia Office of Victim Services
FY19

10,485
telephone calls
handled

offender. By completing a victim impact statement or crime victim notification request form, victims can be registered with GA-V.I.P. The forms can be completed online at www.pap.georgia.gov or forms can be requested by calling 404-651-6668 or 1-800-593-9474.

16,660
pieces of
correspondence
sent

8,483
pieces of
correspondence
received

pap.ga.gov | 31

GEORGIA OFFICE OF VICTIM SERVICES

Upon registering, victims are issued a PIN (Personal Identification Number). When accessing the system (800-593-9474), victims can learn the status of the offender. Also through GA-V.I.P., registered victims receive information on a prison release after the inmate completes the court ordered term of incarceration (end of sentence), or if the inmate is placed on community supervision.
For FY19, there were 3,621 new GA-V.I.P. registrants, 7,380 phone calls from victims were logged into the system and the system made 1,064 calls to victims of crime.
Victim Offender Dialogue
The Victim Offender Dialogue (VOD) program provides an opportunity for victims of violent crime to have a safe, structured, one-on-one meeting with the offender who committed the crime. The program allows the victim and offender to discuss the crime and its impact on the victim. VOD can only be initiated by the victim. Additionally, the offender must voluntarily agree to participate, and must acknowledge his/her role in the crime.
VOD requires a lengthy preparation process which involves both the victim and the offender working separately with a trained facilitator. In FY19, eight (8) Victim Offender Dialogue sessions were completed.
Victim Support Partners
Victim Support Partners (VSPs) is a statewide network of crime victims who are registered with the Georgia Office of Victim Services. This group consists of eleven (11) victim-volunteers who give their time to assist, guide, and comfort other crime victims during the post-conviction process. They also participate in community events involving the Georgia Office of Victim Services. During FY19, VSPs completed over 300 volunteer hours supporting other Georgia crime victims.
32 | Georgia Board of Pardons and Paroles

Fiscal Year 2019 Victims Visitors' Days
Victims Visitors' Day (VVD) is a partnership between the GOVS, and District Attorneys' Victim Witness Assistance Programs throughout the state.
VVD provides a unique opportunity for crime victims to meet face to face in a confidential setting to discuss their case with Parole Board members and leadership from each of the agencies that GOVS represents; the State Board of Pardons and Paroles, Department of Corrections, and Department of Community Supervision. Crime victims can voice the impact of the crime, receive information concerning the current status of the offender and can register to receive future notifications regarding the status of the case.
Since beginning in 2006, the Georgia Office of Victim Services has hosted 31 separate events with 22 different judicial circuits, serving 4,135 crime victims and or family members.
Gainesville October 23, 2018
The Georgia Office of Victim Services partnered with the Northeastern Judicial Circuit Victim Witness Assistance Program, Office of District Attorney Lee Darragh, to host a Victims Visitors' Day in Gainesville, Georgia. The Parole Board and leadership from the Department of Corrections and the Department of Community Supervision met with 135 victims of crime including family members representing seventynine (79) case files. According to exit surveys, 96% of the victims stated all of their questions were answered to their satisfaction and 98% rated their customer service experience above average or excellent.
Augusta April 24, 2019
The Georgia Office of Victim Services partnered with the Augusta Judicial Circuit Victim Witness Assistance Program, Office of District Attorney Natalie Paine, to host a Victims Visitors' Day in Augusta, Georgia. Parole Board Members and leadership from the Department of Corrections and the Department of Community Supervision met with 151 victims of crime including family members representing ninety-one (91) case files. According to exit surveys, 99% stated that all of their questions were answered to their satisfaction and rated their customer service experience above average or excellent.

Community Outreach
The Georgia Office of Victim Services collaborates with state and local agencies to increase awareness about the services available to crime victims. In FY19, staff from the Georgia Office of Victim Services along with Victim Support Partners, attended 24 community events held in various locations throughout the state. During these events staff registered crime victims for notification, explained the postconviction process, and distributed nearly 2,000 informational packets.

ANNUAL REPORT 2019 pap.ga.gov | 33

Human Resources & Training

Full-time Employees . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 187 Female . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 154 Male . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 33

Staff by race/ethnicity

Asian

2

Hispanic

1

Black

109

White

75

Staff by age groups

20-29

13

30-39

37

40-49

52

50-59

67

60 Plus

18

All agency employees must complete in-service training on an annual basis. Sworn staff must complete a minimum of 20 hours annually which includes mandatory firearms requalification, use of deadly force and De-escalation and Community Policing training. Non-sworn staff must complete a minimum of eight hours of training annually.
Both sworn and non-sworn staff must complete Unlawful Harassment and Professionalism, and Ethics training each year as a part of their training hours and any other training as prescribed by law.
34 | Georgia Board of Pardons and Paroles

Training Delivered in FY 2019 To sworn staff................................2,128 hours To non-sworn staff.........................1,187 hours Agency training hours delivered.......5,195 hours

Budget

PERSONAL SERVICES REGULAR OPERATING
EQUIPMENT COMPUTER CHARGES REAL ESTATE RENTAL TELECOMMUNICATIONS
CONTRACTS COUNTY JAIL SUBSIDY

$15,305,966 $839,301 $19,950 $204,372 $422,054 $143,734 $509,997 $231,855

TOTAL EXPENDITURES FOR FY 2019 $17,677,229

ANNUAL REPORT 2019

PePrseorsnoanl aSleSrevricviecses868.75.%5%

Regular Operating 4.7%
Equipment 0.1% Computer Charges 1.2% Real Estate Rental 2.4% Telecommunications 0.8% Contracts 2.8%
County Jail Subsidy 1.3%

FY 19 FUNDS
FEDERAL OTHER STATE TOTAL FUNDS

$96,603 $82,930 $18,049,580 $18,229,113

60

STATE BUDGET FUNDS

FY 2015, HB310 created the Department of Community

50

Supervision (DCS)

FY 2017 budget reduction as a result of funds trans-

ferred to DCS

40

Agency budget decreased by 70% between FY 2015 and

FY 2018.

Increase in FY 2018 due to law enforcement raises and 2

30

new positions

FY 2019 increases for pass-through funds

20

FY 19 Federal Funds are associated with a VOCA (Vic-

tims of Crime) Grant

Other funds associated with increased support from

10

DOC and DCS

0

$ MILLIONS
FY 2015 FY 2016 EXEC ORDER FY 2016 AM FY 2017 FY 2018 FY 2019

pap.ga.gov | 35

State Board of Pardons and Paroles
Annual Report Fiscal Year 2019
Martin Luther King Jr. Drive S.E. Suite 458, East Tower Atlanta, GA 30334-4909 404.657.9450 www.pap.georgia.gov