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Parole stakeholders
Parole Eligible Offenders are Key Stakeholders
"Early in 2025 we made a commitment to meet with as many parole eligible offenders and visit all state prisons, county facilities and private institutions that house state offenders." - Chris Barnett, Executive Director of Parole
Georgia Parole Board Members and leadership staff have met with offenders in groups and interviewed them individually.
The parole board is emphasizing completing reentry case plans and following institutional rules.
"As Board Members, we want to see improvement, positive work toward reentry," says Board Member Robert Markley.
."Whatever the circumstances and where offenders are serving their time, we want them to know that they can make progress toward reentry," states Chair Joyette Holmes.
"Many of these visits to these facilities have included two and even three Parole Board Members. Parole eligible offenders in Georgia are able to hear directly from the decision makers regarding the parole process and information the members consider when making decisions," says Executive Director Barnett.
By the end of January, Parole staff have visited more than seventy prison facilities in Georgia.
"Reentry success takes commitment," says Markley. "Completing programming and finishing the task is what we're asking everyone to do and to realize they will benefit from their efforts," he added.
Board Members and staff from all divisions and units of the agency are participating in the engagement.
Allowing the Parole Board access to the state facilities requires cooperation from the Georgia Department of Corrections.
"We want to thank the leadership at the Department of Corrections for seeing the value of the parole board's continuous engagement of the offender population," said Holmes.