News Release - December 3, 2008
Georgia Department of Corrections
James E. Donald, Commissioner
Director of Public Affairs
Joan Heath
Contact: Office of Public Affairs (404) 656-9772
For Immediate Release
Georgia Department of Corrections Implements Banking Consolidation Initiative
Initiating Partnership With Bank of America
Atlanta – The Georgia Department of Corrections is converting to both a single Offender Trust Account and single State Probation Office account, which will be managed centrally. This consolidation initiative will be implemented in partnership with Bank of America, and will allow the Department to close approximately 150 locally managed accounts.
Currently, facilities receive and deposit money orders from offender family members for use in GDC commissaries, while Probation Offices collect and deposit fines, fees and court ordered restitution for subsequent disbursement. Under the new consolidation program, each of these accounts will generate more accurate and timely deposit of funds.
Consolidated accounts will allow for banking lockbox services and the use of payment service providers, such as Western Union, offering more customer-friendly methods of fund remittance. “Those accounts will also allow us to leverage technology by automating posting and disbursement processes, thereby freeing GDC staff to focus on our core mission of effectively managing offenders, while helping to provide a safe and secure environment for the citizens of Georgia,” said Commissioner James E. Donald.
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 150,000 probationers. It is the largest law enforcement agency in the state with approximately 15,000 employees.
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