Fact sheet, Performance Incentive Credit 2020

FACT SHEET
PERFORMANCE INCENTIVE CREDIT

2020

TIMOTHY C. WARD COMMISSIONER RICKY MYRICK CHIEF OF STAFF AHMED HOLT ASSISTANT COMMISSIONER FACILITIES DIVISION

The Performance Incentive Credit (PIC) Program provides an opportunity for offenders to reduce the length of their prison sentence through satisfactory progress in cognitive behavioral programs, education, vocational, work details, and good behavior. The Georgia State Board of Pardons and Paroles determines eligibility. Offenders can accumulate one point for completing all activities within a category of their reentry program case plan (one point equals one month of credit). An offender can accumulate up to 12 months' credit. The PIC program offers three ways offenders can actively and positively accumulate PIC points: completion
of reentry case-plan; detail/work assignments and educational improvement beyond case plan.

Program completers receive a certificate of completion from the Technical College System of Georgia
One point for On The Job training (OJT) or vocational program.

ELIGIBILITY REQUIREMENTS
Assessment is conducted on all offenders upon entry into the Georgia Department of Corrections (GDC) system, which is used to develop an individual reentry case plan
Must not be under death sentence or serving life sentence Must have sentence length of more than two years Must not be serving a sentence with a non-parole eligible
offense

COGNITIVE BEHAVORIAL HEALTH PROGRAMS
Offers offenders that have been assessed in cognitive psychological needs to acquire the ability to identify their reasoning errors and come up with new ways of thinking
One point for category completion
SUBSTANCE ABUSE PROGRAMS
Offers offenders education on substance abuse issues Level of abuse determines the amount of programming given
One point for category, excluding Residential Substance Abuse Treatment (RSAT)

PROGRAM CREDITS & PIC CREDIT
Credit received for satisfactory completion of education and treatment programs in which they are assigned through their reentry program case plan.
EDUCATION
Offers Adult Basic Education (ABE), Literacy Remedial Reading (LRR), and General Education Diploma (GED) prep to offenders who have not yet completed their GED or obtained a High School diploma prior to incarceration
One point if actively enrolled or one level completed
CAREER TECHNICAL AND HIGHER EDUCATION
Offers offenders opportunity to obtain job skills through vocational programs to make them competitive in the job market upon release

SEX OFFENDER PSYCHO-EDUCATIONAL PROGRAMS (SOPP)
Offers help to sex offenders in GDC custody to recognize a need for therapy
One point for category completion
PIC DETAIL CREDIT
Outside details, county camps, administrative aides allows for six credit earned for 42 months on detail
Offenders can be assigned to work special details after meeting all eligibility criteria in Facilities Operations policy and demonstrate positive, good behavior. Offenders will accumulate six credits after 24 months on the following special details:

FACT SHEET
PERFORMANCE INCENTIVE CREDIT

2020

TIMOTHY C. WARD COMMISSIONER RICKY MYRICK CHIEF OF STAFF AHMED HOLT ASSISTANT COMMISSIONER FACILITIES DIVISION

MOBILE DETAIL
Opportunity to work on special construction projects for GDC statewide
Includes working for counties in building services (i.e. constructing libraries, parks, jails)
PRISON INDUSTRY DETAIL
Opportunity to work for an outside employer while incarcerated
Details could include work with Georgia Correctional Industries (GCI), canning plant, optic plant, matress plant
FIRE SERVICES DETAIL
Opportunity to work at the facilities that assist local city and county fire departments
Assist fire stations in rural areas where full-time departments do not exist
Inmates able to receive firefighter certification/license
FOOD AND FARM DETAIL
Opportunity to work in GDC cafeterias or on GDC farms with responsiblity of preparation and service of over 39,118,326 meals annually
Opportunity to learn farming skills, including operating farming equipment, growing vegetables, raising cattle and swine
EDUCATIONAL IMPROVEMENT
Opportunity for offenders to accumulate additional PIC points
BENEFITS FOR OFFENDERS
Additional time earned-off sentence (contingent upon State Board of Pardons & Paroles approval)
Engaged in reentry case plan Performance yields points amd builds self-efficacy Points accumulated for specialized detail assignments

BENEFITS FOR AGENCY
Better managed offenders Pool of skilled inmate labor Improved case planning process Maximize program capacity by:
Increased releases Reduction in recidivism Reduction in jail backlog Opportunity to incentivize program attendance Allows funding for hard beds to be reinvested in other Criminal Justice Reform Initiatives