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 and State Board of Pardons and Paroles Form Partnership to Help Reduce Recidivism

Community Briefings Scheduled

Atlanta – The Georgia Department of Corrections and the State Board of Pardons and Paroles are hosting a series of community briefings to recruit community housing service providers.  These briefings will serve as an educational forum for potential housing providers who may be able to assist offenders upon their release from prison.  This initiative is important to both the Department of Corrections and the State Board of Pardons and Paroles because 95% of offenders return to the community and 28% recidivate within three years. 

“Each week, hundreds of inmates return to communities across the state and many are in need of specialized housing,” said Commissioner Brian Owens.  “Our goal is to place them in suitable housing where they will begin the process of becoming a productive member of society.” 

Within the group of returning offenders, there is a high demand for specialized housing. This specialized housing includes those which can accommodate sex offenders, violent offenders, those requiring electronic monitoring and those with medical and mental health needs.  There is also a need for providers with resource based facilities able to meet the needs of offenders with multiple demands, nursing homes, personal care and assisted living.

If you are interested in becoming a provider or want more information, the next set of community briefings will cover the following areas:

  1. Tuesday, November 17 – 11:00am to 1:00pm at Coosa Valley Technical College, Building A - Auditorium, Rome, GA.  This briefing is for Floyd, Bartow, Gordon and Polk Counties.
  2. Tuesday, November 17 – 11:00am to 1:00pm at Macon State College (Warner Robins Campus), Walker Auditorium, Warner Robins, GA.  This briefing is for Bibb, Houston and Peach Counties.
  3. Wednesday, November 18 – 11:00am to 1:00pm at the Family Resource Center, Vienna, GA.  This briefing is for Gilmer, Fannin, Pickens and Dawson Counties.
  4. Wednesday, November 18 – 11:00am to 1:00pm at the Gilmer County Library, Ellijay, GA.  This briefing is for Dooly, Pulaski and Wilcox Counties. 

 

The Department of Corrections is the fourth 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 14,000 employees.

####

: