DCS Annual Report 2016 | Page 6

ENGAGING OUR COMMUNITIES DCS seeks to be a leader in the transformation of community supervision in Georgia and the nation. To that end, we actively support the professional associations and educational forums that enable us to exchange knowledge with a global community of criminal justice practitioners. Most importantly, the success of our work is dependent on the support, trust, and engagement of the communities we serve. In 2017, the DCS family selflessly served above and beyond daily work responsibilities by participating in community service and charitable giving projects, thousands of hours of volunteer service, and ongoing involvement with the schools, legislators, and civic institutions of communities across Georgia. ENGAGING THE NEXT GENERATION DCS invests in the next generation of criminal justice professionals. In partnership with Kennesaw State University, we initiated an intensive training program to streamline future community supervision officers’ ability to gain P.O.S.T. certification while fulfilling their academic requirements. DCS RIDE-ALONGS A ride-along is an opportunity for a first-hand glimpse into the dynamic nature of community supervision. DCS invites elected officials, judges, sheriffs, district attorneys, and other members of the criminal justice community to accompany a DCS officer on their daily duties. By joining a certified officer in the field, ride- along participants are able to observe the day-to-day realities of community supervision work. “Every new judge like myself should attend one… Seeing firsthand the challenges of a night in the work life of a CSO will help in my decision making process as a judge.” -Superior Court Judge Clayton Tomlinson describing his DCS ride-along experience. 6 Georgia Department of Community Supervision