Georgia Department of Corrections
James E. Donald, Commissioner
Director of Public Information
Susan Phillips
Contact: Office of Public Affairs (404) 656-9772
For Immediate Release
Inmates to Become Truck Drivers
Commercial Drivers License Training
Atlanta - As part of a vocational training contract with the Georgia Department of Corrections, Middle Georgia Technical College is helping to provide a Commercial Truck Driving (CDL) class at the 7 Pre- Release Centers (PRC) recently opened by the Georgia Department of Corrections. Pre-Release Centers are designed to help better prepare inmates for their transition back into the community.
The CDL initiative is voluntary and requires that the trained offender agree to repay the cost of training. The CDL pilot started February 13, 2008 at Long PRC in Ludiwici Georgia.
The goal of the CDL course is to train as many qualified offenders as possible for careers in the Trucking Industry. The program will be offered to inmates in all Pre- Release Centers and Transitional Centers.
“Approximately 99% of offenders who enter prison will eventually be released back to the community,” stated Commissioner James E. Donald. “Research shows that offenders who have vocational job training are better prepared to re-enter society and are more successful in maintaining a crime-free life after prison.”
The participants must have impeccable institutional performance and conduct records, meet all Department of Driving Services requirements for licensing and agree to repay training costs. Graduates of the program will be licensed CDL drivers, and upon transferring to a Transitional Center, will begin employment and repay the cost of training, prior to their eventual release date.
The 18 wheeler used for training was donated by the Douglas County Sheriff’s Office from a recent drug seizure. Students will complete 3 courses, Fundamentals of Commercial Truck Driving, Basic Operation of a CMV, and Advanced Operation of a CMV. The course will last 8 weeks. It will consist of 8 hours of classroom instruction and a total of 175 hours on the road or on the driving range.
The Department of Corrections is the fifth largest prison system in the United States and is responsible for supervising nearly 60,000 state prisoners and over 140,000 probationers. It is the largest law enforcement agency in the state with nearly 15,000 employees.
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