The largest ever Victims Visitors’ Day was held in April at Georgia Piedmont Technical College in Clarkston. More than 350 victims attended the first two-day event in the Parole Board’s history, April 11 -12, as the five voting members of the State Board of Pardons and Paroles held meetings with the crime victims. Nearly 150 individual meetings were conducted by the Board.
"These two days of meetings with crime victims have been very rewarding and extremely helpful to the board members. By spending their valuable time with us, the victims are taking an active role in the parole decision making process,” said Parole Board Chairman James Mills.
The event was hosted by the Georgia Office of Victim Services in coordination with the Stone Mountain Judicial Circuit Victim-Witness Assistance Program and DeKalb County District Attorney Sherry Boston.
Information received from victims is added to the offender case files for the Board Members to review prior to determining whether to grant parole.
The event was also held to bring recognition to crime victims during National Crime Victims’ Rights Week, April 8-14, 2018. This year’s theme was: “Expand the Circle; Reach All Victims.”
Many victims not previously registered with the state were able to do so at the event. Through the Georgia Office of Victim Services, victims, if registered, can receive information about the offender who victimized them.
The Victims Visitors’ Day was the 29th conducted since 2006. Twenty-one (21) different communities have now hosted an event and nearly four thousand victims have met with the Parole Board over that span of time.
Parole Review/Spring/Summer 2018
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