Georgia Department of Corrections
Brian Owens, Commissioner
Director of Public Affairs
Joan Heath
Contact: Office of Public Affairs (404) 656-9772
For Immediate Release
GDC Names James Henderson Award Winner
Atlanta – The Department of Corrections presented Lawton Wright with the James Henderson Award at the Fifth Annual GDC Awards program on Wednesday, May 27, 2009 on the historic Tift College Campus in Forsyth.
“Lawton is an officer who goes above and beyond to ensure the safety of others,” said Commissioner Brian Owens. “He is a great asset to the Department and deserving of this honor.” Wright is a Correctional Officer at Baldwin State Prison.
The James Henderson Award was created to honor the memory of Correctional Officer James Henderson of Georgia State Prison for placing service above self and extraordinary bravery beyond the call of duty. Officer Henderson died on June 3, 2002 of injuries sustained in the line of duty. He was a valued officer at Georgia State Prison from 1994 –2002. He was an Army veteran who served in Korea, Germany and the United States.
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 160,000 probationers. It is the largest law enforcement agency in the state with approximately 15,000 employees.
####