Georgia Parole Review Summer 2026
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Engaging Paroling Authorities Cont.
Meetings with Texas Board of Pardons and Paroles officials in Austin in 2025 were followed up by more engagement at the Association of Paroling Authorities International Training Conference in New Orleans and at the American Probation and Parole Association (APPA) Conference in Atlanta this past March. The meetings included a trip to Governor Brian Kemp's Office and the General Assembly.
"We are certainly very appreciative of the Governor and First Lady for taking a few minutes to allow us to introduce our Texas visitors. It capped off a couple of good days of discussions between our parole boards' leadership," said Joyette Holmes, Chair of the Georgia Parole Board.
Engagement continues with several other states including Arkansas and Louisiana.
Executive Director Chris Barnett attended the American Correctional Association's (ACA) Annual Training
Institute in Pittsburgh this August.
Barnett joined his counterparts in Texas and Louisiana on a panel discussion. The panel provided ACA members with insight into effective legislative practices.
"Training on legislative engagement for agency heads is limited. My counterparts and I wanted to share our
experiences on how to effectively engage elected officials, enhance public trust, and develop great partners," Barnett said.
The Georgia Parole Board was among the public safety agencies hosting the APPA Conference in Atlanta in March. Parole Board Chair Joyette Holmes served on a panel presentation titled, "Real Talk on Success and Failure in Community Supervision."
"I was proud to serve with these professionals from across the country. We had real and candid conversations regarding opportunities for our teams to improve and foster greater success in supervision outcomes," Holmes said.