Fact sheet, Special Operations 2020

FACT SHEET
SPECIAL OPERATIONS

2020

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

The Georgia Department of Corrections (GDC) Special Operations oversees internal processes that support the Facilities Division's primary task of supervising offenders. Special Operations is comprised of the following specialized units: 25 tactical squads (TAC) to include three regional interdiction teams (IRT), and 28 correctional emergency response teams
(CERT). In addition, GDC is part of the state's overall law enforcement and criminal justice system.

CORRECTIONAL
EMERGENCY RESPONSE
TEAM (CERT)
MISSION
To maintain well trained and highly motivated units, ready to mobilize upon command and move quickly to restore law and order within facilities and assist all departmental staff with daily organization and operations of the facilities.
OVRVIEW
28 CERT teams Traditional team has five members (team leader or
sergeant and four correctional officers) Team size may be increased at Level V (close)
facilities Gray battle dress uniforms with untraditional
patches Receives advanced training in cell extractions,
chemical munitions, less lethal escorts and transports, offender searches, interview and interrogation techniques, intelligence gathering and security threat groups (STG) Conducts shakedowns An unannounced procedure conducted
to detect and prevent the introduction of contraband, prevent escapes and other disturbances and discover hazards to health

or safety that may go unnoticed during a routine inspection On-call 24/7
LOCATIONS OF TEAMS
Arrendale State Prison Augusta State Medical Prison Autry State Prison Baldwin State Prison Burruss Correctional Training Center Calhoun State Prison Central State Prison Coastal State Prison Dodge State Prison Dooly State Prison Georgia Diagnostic and Classification Prison (2
Teams) Georgia State Prison Hancock State Prison Hays State Prison Johnson State Prison Lee State Prison Macon State Prison Phillips State Prison Pulaski State Prison Rogers State Prison Rutledge State Prison Smith State Prison Telfair State Prison Valdosta State Prison Ware State Prison Washington State Prison Wilcox State Prison
REQUIREMENTS
POST certified employee (security) with the rank of correctional officer (CO) I
Must successfully complete the Special Operations Physical Fitness Test (push-ups and sit-ups for a duration of two minutes and a 1.5 mile run) with a minimum score of 60 percent according to the Army Physical Fitness Testing

FACT SHEET
SPECIAL OPERATIONS

2020

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

standards Successfully qualify with their duty weapon with
a minimum score of 80 percent on the Georgia Double Action Course Endure a formal review board Members must maintain physcial fitness and firearms standards Attend certificate training sessions
TRAINING
SPECIAL OPERATIONS BASIC COURSE 40-hour basic course Physical and demanding training Classes administered:
Defensive Tactics Chemical Agents and Less Lethal Munitions Drill and Ceremony Squad Formations Mobile Field Force Cell Extractions Intelligence Gathering Successfuly qualifies yearly with the agencies
preferred duty weapon (Glock 19)

ready to mobilize upon command and move quickly to restore law and order to disturbed facilities and assist outside law enforcement.
OVRVIEW
25 squads 22 based at facilities Three regional (southeast, southwest and north) tactical squads (interdiction response teams-IRT)
11 memebers (IRT and Hays State Prison (SP) has 18 members; Georgia SP has 17 members)
Black battle dress uniform with untraditional patches
Receives extensive training on riot and crowd control, firearms, chemical munitions and other less than lethal munitions

ADVANCED FIREARMS TRAINING Advanced firearms course Successfully completes advanced firearms tactics and safely maneuver through advanced firearm drills
TACTICAL SQUADS
MISSION
To maintain well trained and highly motivated units,

Highly scrutinized to gurantee they have the proper personnel in place to carry out the highly difficult tasks
Conducts shakedowns Assists in local community during disasters such
as tornadoes, huricanes and floods On-call 24/7
LOCATIONS OF TEAMS
Augusta State Medical Prison Autry State Prison Baldwin State Prison Coastal State Prison Dodge State Prison Dooly State Prison Georgia Diagnostic and Classification Prison
(houses two tactical squads cobined with Metro, Central and Burruss CTC) Hancock State Prison

FACT SHEET
SPECIAL OPERATIONS

2020

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

Hays State Prison (houses one tactical squad of 18 combined with Walker SP)
Johnson State Prison Lee/Calhoun State Prison (combined/housed at
Lee SP) Macon State Prison North Interdiction Response Team (Regional) Phillips State Prison Rutledge State Prison SE Interdiction Response Team (Regional) SW Interdiction Response Team (Regional) Smith State Prison Telfair State Prison Valdosta State Prison Ware State Prison Washington State Prison Wilcox State Prison
REQUIREMENTS
POST certified employee (security) who ranks from CO I to lieutenant
Must successfully complete the Special Operations Physical Fitness Test (push-ups and sit-ups for a duration of two minutes and a 1.5 mile run) with a minimum score of 60 percent according to the Army Physical Fitness Testing standards
Successfully qualify with their duty weapon with a minimum score of 80 percent on the Georgia Double Action Course
Endure a formal review board Members must maintain physcial fitness and
firearms standards Attend certificate training sessions Interdiction response Teams are CO II only
TRAINING
SPECIAL OPERATIONS BASIC COURSE 40-hour basic course Physical and demanding training Classes administered:
Defensive Tactics Chemical Agents and Less Lethal Munitions Drill and Ceremony Squad Formations Mobile Field Force Cell Extractions Intelligence Gathering

ADVANCED FIREARMS TRAINING Advanced firearms course Successfully completes advanced firearms tactics and safely maneuver through advanced firearms drills
JUDGMENTAL USE OF DEADLY FORCE Advanced firearms course Teaches judgement in shoot/don't shoot
situations
STATEWIDE SHAKEDOWN INITIATIVE Determined to eradicate the state's prison system of contraband, the Georgia Department of Corrections implemented and bolstered interdiction methods within its facilities across the state of Georgia. Thus far in the 2018 calendar year, the agency conducted a shakedown or quick strike shakedown at 25 facilities. The items siezed between January and September 2018 are as follows:
840 cell phones 3,511 homemade weapons 1,585.42 grams of marijuana 6,336.28 grams of tobacco 4658.26 ounces of alcohol 792.01 grams of meth 2307 pills (ecstacy, loritab, xanan) This contraband was seized from seven prisons to include Buruss Correctional Training Center, GDCP, Macon, Ware, Johnson, Telfair, Valdosta, Smith, GSP, Hays, Lee, Washington, Phillips, Dodge, Calhoun, Lee Arrendale, ASMP, Baldwin, Autry, Central, Hancock, Dooly, Rogers and Wilcox state prisons. The remainder of the state prisons hit will be hit with suprise shakedowns or quick strike shakedowns over the course of 2019.