Fall 2024/Winter 2025
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Victim Impact Sessions
Victim Impact Sessions continue to be a successful means of providing victims with the opportunity to provide the Georgia Parole Board with necessary important information regarding the impact of the crime and the current views regarding an offender's possible parole.
Victim Impact Sessions were conducted in the Macon and Griffin Judicial Circuits in January of 2025. Board Member Wayne Bennett met with crime victims in Macon. Vice Chair Meg Heap listened to victims in Fayetteville.
Through a collaboration with the local district attorney's office and their victim units, the Georgia Office of Victim Services schedules the sessions with victims. The focus is on cases of parole eligible offenders who will soon have a parole consideration by the Georgia Parole Board.
In the last quarter of 2024, Victim Impact Sessions were conducted in Lawrenceville by Chairman David Herring, in Eastman by Member Wayne Bennett, and by Member Joyette Holmes in Douglasville.
More than three-hundred crime victims have met with the parole board since 2022.
"Promotions" - In his previous role, Kimner was responsible for overseeing internal investigations, staff training, and policy development.
Executive Director of Parole Chris Barnett says in this new role, Kimner will oversee the agency’s team of criminal, institutional, and field parole investigators, whose work is critical to the Board’s executive clemency decision-making process.
"This appointment underscores the importance of comprehensive investigations in the Board's decision making process," stated Barnett.
Read more here. ("More Promotions" page 8)