Georgia Department of Corrections
Brian Owens, Commissioner
Director of Public Affairs
Joan Heath
Contact: Office of Public Affairs (404) 656-9772
For Immediate Release
Change of Responsibility Ceremony Held at Georgia State Prison
Atlanta – Department of Corrections’ staff and local dignitaries attended a Change of Responsibility ceremony on Tuesday, July 21, 2009. During the ceremony, Warden Don Jarriel received responsibility for Georgia State Prison in Reidsville, Georgia. Warden Jarriel will oversee 1,494 inmates and 502 staff members.
“Warden Jarriel has truly dedicated his life to Corrections, joining the Department as a teenager,” said Commissioner Brian Owens. “It’s an honor to promote employees like him and I have full confidence in his abilities.”
Warden Jarriel began his career with the Department in 1987 as a Correctional Officer at Georgia State Prison. He worked his way up through the ranks, supervising the maximum security units at Georgia State Prison and serving as Squad Commander for nine years. Jarriel was later promoted to Deputy Warden of Security at Dodge State Prison and later became Warden. He has most recently served as Warden of Smith State Prison since 2001. Warden Jarriel is married with three children.
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.
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