February 15, 2018
Offender Art Brings Support to Reading Program
Commissioner: Gregory C. Dozier
Director of Public Affairs: Joan Heath
Creative Works on Display in Atlanta
FORSYTH, Ga. – During the week of February 12th, an impressive array of artwork was on display at the James H. “Sloppy” Floyd building in Atlanta. Each piece of art was created by an offender from the Georgia Department of Corrections (GDC), and was voluntarily provided by them to help benefit the “Little Readers” program, developed by Heartbound Ministries.
During the public exhibit, attendees were able to purchase items ranging from intricate wooden bowls, purses crafted from candy wrappers, paintings and large-scale replica courthouses. All funds raised by the sale will go directly back into the program.
“Little Readers” is a program designed to give incarcerated parents and grandparents the opportunity to send personalized DVD recorded readings to their children. The children receive not only the DVD, but also a copy of the book being read, a personalized bookmark, literary resources, and other valuable tools to help them connect with their loved one.
“We are thankful for the work being done by Heartbound Ministries to help the children and the parents alike,” said Commissioner Gregory C. Dozier. “Through programs like Little Readers, we hope to help build strong family relationships which will help offenders transition back into society upon release.”
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 Heartbound Ministries, visit https://www.heartboundministries.com/.
For more information on the GDC call 478-992-5247 or visit https://gdc.georgia.gov.