Parole engages criminal justice partners & stakeholders
4
Parole Review/Spring/Summer 2018
"Engaging the Community" is one of the 4E's guiding the day to day operations of the State Board of Pardons and Paroles. In June, Executive Director Chris Barnett had the opportunity to practice that at the Henry County Rotary Club.
"Our Georgia communities are also one of our stakeholders. Not only is it important that our public safety mission and the Board's critical criminal justice role be understood, we need communities and their leaders engaged and to be active in the parole process," stated Barnett.
'We need employers to consider utilizing the skills of returning citizens. There are many benefits to hiring an offender released on parole and they include safer communities. Gainful employment that lasts is a key to successful reentry. Many returning citizens have skills or obtain them while incarcerated. Safer communities are the result when offenders are able to work," stated Barnett.
There are state and federal benefits provided to employers who hire returning citizens.
The Parole Board continues collaboration with its criminal justice partners to ensure public safety for all Georgians. In April, Parole attended the annual public safety agency meeting in Glennville. Board Member Terry Barnard highlighted the successful Victims Visitors' Day in Clarkston and said the agency would continue enhancing operations to ensure public safety. He applauded criminal justice reform efforts and the Department of Corrections for increasing programming for inmates.
Also in April, Parole staff visited the Re-entry Coalition of Carrollton which assists offenders leaving prison by connecting them with needed services.
In May, the Board's Executive Leadership made a presentation to district attorneys in Savannah.
"Our thanks to the Prosecuting Attorneys' Council of Georgia (PAC) for the opportunity to speak to the district attorneys. The Parole Board will continue to engage stakeholders and criminal justice partners about the parole process and the agency's operations. Both Parole and PAC are working to provide a safer Georgia," said Executive Director Chris Barnett.
State agencies gathered this week for a public safety briefing in Glennville, Georgia. Thursday, at the National Guard Armory, agency leaders delivered updates. Parole Board Member Terry Barnard delivered the Board's update informing the audience of the Board's service to crime victims giving details of the two-day Victims Visitors' Day in DeKalb County. Leaders including Barnard, and Greg Dozier, Commissioner of the Georgia Department of Corrections, said that the Governor's Criminal Justice Reforms were working and improving public safety in Georgia.
Barnard says the agency continues to enhance its operations. He applauded the Dept. of Corrections' efforts to have more inmates complete programming specifically mentioning record number of inmates completing GEDs which better prepares for success once paroled. Updates were also given by leaders from the Dept. of Community Supervision, Dept. of Public Safety and many others.
Parole's 4E's are: Engaging Stakeholders; Educating the Community, Eliciting Active Participation; and Enhancing Operations.
Barnett says by engaging our stakeholders, educating the community, eliciting active participation and enhancing operations, the agency will continue to build on what is already one of the highest successful parole completion rates in the nation.
"We will continue to engage our partners and stakeholders in the community, understanding their role and increasing participation in the parole process in order to assist offenders and produce more successful outcomes. By enhancing our operations we are improving public safety," states Barnett.