The Misdemeanor Probation Oversight
Unit has convened numerous provider
trainings with a total of 2,338 attendees
and conducted 202 compliance audits
to protect both the rights of minor
offenders and the integrity of Georgia's
court system.
Launched a Blended Training Model
whereby Basic Community Supervision
Officer Cadets complete a combination
of on-site, on-ground, or on-campus
training and online academic courses.
This was a first-time accomplishment
for a state-level law enforcement
agency.
DCS implemented a Court Specialist
position which led to a reduction in
caseloads allowing officers to spend
more time supervising high-risk
offenders. 100% of Community
Supervision Officers have been trained
using the Enhanced Supervision
Program which is a set of evidencebased
supervision techniques.
Notable Presentations
DCS presented the “One Community
philosophy “ to an international
audience of supervision professionals
at the 2017 International
Community Corrections Association
conference in Tokyo. At the 4th World
Congress on Probation, DCS presented on
“The use of emerging community
supervision technology.”
Leading Ahead
Video supervision is receiving considerable
attention from community supervision
scholars and is just one area where DCS is
positioned to lead into the future. In May of
this year, DCS conducted its first Supervisee
Pulse Survey to gauge how supervisees are
perceiving the use of video interactions
as a means to communicate with
community supervision officers. The study
found that 83% of respondents agreed or
strongly agreed that they are able to
have a meaningful interaction with their
CSO during a video call and that the average
time CSOs spend with supervisees during
video interactions (23 minutes) is almost
four times more than during home visits
(6.5minutes). DCS Chief Operating Officer
Bert Flewellen sums up these modifications
this way: “The goal of these modifications is
to maximize current DCS resources and
focus them on the offender population that
poses the greatest risk to public safety
based on a validated risk assessment score
and are the most likely to fail under
supervision”.
2015-2020 marked a pivotal time of growth
and opportunity for DCS. Fortunately,
opportunities for change are at the core of
the Department’s mission. Commissioner
Michael Nail provides a charge that puts the
Department’s future in proper perspective:
”The work we do changes the lives of
offenders, their families, and neighborhoods
across Georgia. It is because of the
unwavering devotion of all members of the
DCS family that I know our future is bright
and that our best days are still yet to come.”
FIVE YEAR ANNIVERSARY