OFFICER Laster,
VALDOSTA STATE PRISON
Officer Laster began her career at Valdosta State Prison less than one year ago, and has already proven how valuable training can be.
While escorting an offender to the shower area, an armed offender ran up the stairs and attempted to assault the offender she was escorting. Officer Laster positioned herself between the two offenders and attempted to deescalate the situation, at which time, the armed offender lunged at Officer Laster pushing her against the wall and began assaulting the other inmate. Officer Laster attempted to separate the two offenders and began discharging her OC Spray. The aggressive offender turned to Officer Laster and physically grabbed her in an attempt to stop her from using the OC Spray. Officer Laster stood her ground until other staff members arrived and assisted in securing the aggressive inmate.
Officer Laster showed tremendous courage while handling a challenging situation. She remained calm and made a quick decision to resolve the situation. We are thankful for her service to Valdosta State Prison.
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Officer Strickland began her career with the Georgia Department of Corrections in 2015, and is currently assigned as Sanitation Officer at Montgomery State Prison. During the evacuation of Coastal State Prison, due to the impending weather of Hurricane Dorian, she volunteered to come in during her off hours and assist her fellow officers.
On September 12, she was called upon to assist with an offender who was coming back into the facility from court. Upon processing the inmate's personal property, she noticed eight legal pads and nine envelopes that looked unusual. Upon further inspection, she discovered the offender was hiding contraband, which consisted of 351.7 grams of tobacco. Thanks to her diligence, the contraband was kept from being introduced into the facility, and one of the individuals responsible for the inflow of tobacco into the facility was identified.
Officer Strickland demonstrates exemplary professionalism and does whatever it takes to get the job done. Her "can do" attitude promotes good teamwork and we appreciate all she does for Montgomery State prison.
OFFICER strickland,
Montgomery state prison
IMPACT GEORGIA MAGAZINE
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