Commissioner: Gregory C. Dozier

Director of Public Affairs: Joan Heath

Staff work together to ensure success

FORSYTH, Ga. – Since July 1, 2016, 73 offenders have received their (General Equivalency Diploma) GED at Smith State Prison (SP). They are the top-ranking Georgia Department of Corrections (GDC) facility for GED completions. The security, administrative, and education staff work together to ensure the offenders at this close security facility can further their education.

“We have a mission to build PRIDE in ourselves and our agency,” said Commissioner Gregory C. Dozier. “The staff at Smith State Prison represent this motto, by working as a team to provide effective educational opportunities to the offenders.”

Each department at Smith SP plays a key role in the GED process. Administrative staff order the supplies for the teachers to perform their job, the security staff ensures that the offenders arrive safely, and on time, the Care & Treatment counseling staff encourage offenders to sign up, and the educational teaching staff provide the training.

The counseling staff encourage offenders who don't have at least a 12th grade education to join the GED program. Once an offender applies, he is scheduled for TABE testing (Test for Adult Basic Education) to determine his needs. The program, which is provided by Southeastern Technical College, requires offenders to complete four basic subject areas: Mathematics, Language Arts, Science and Social Studies.

Since the lead GED teacher joined the team last February, nearly 100 offenders at Smith SP have earned a GED.  For those offenders not able to join the classroom sessions, GED instruction and testing are provided in their individual housing areas.

The GDC has one of the largest prison systems in the U.S. and is responsible for supervising nearly 52,000 state prisoners. It is the largest law enforcement agency in the state with approximately 10,500 employees.

For more information on the GDC call 478-992-5248 or visit https://gdc.georgia.gov.