Commissioner : Homer Bryson

Director of Public Affairs : Joan Heath

Open Discussion between Inmates, Families, and Probation & Parole Officers

FORSYTH, GA – On February 5, Central State Prison, in Macon, Ga., hosted its first Family Reunification Day. This event provided inmates as well as their families the opportunity to create a dialogue with Community Supervision Officers as well as the facility’s In-Reach Specialist. This open dialogue allowed them to discuss questions they had regarding changes that occurred through the merger of Probation and Parole Officers through the creation of the Department of Community Supervision.

“It is important for us to work closely with the Department of Community Supervision in providing a forum for our offender population and their families to voice their questions and concerns before they are released under community supervision,” said Commissioner Bryson. “The continuation of these efforts will greatly assist in the smooth transition from incarceration to community supervision.”

Offenders and their family members had opportunities to discuss parole and probation stipulations, violations of community supervision, community resources, and In-Reach community support and housing resources. In addition to the forum discussing the merger of Parole and Probation, families and offenders had the opportunity to openly discuss what brought them to prison, when they decided to make a change in their behavior and attitude, and the effects their decisions had on their families.

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 478-992-5247 or visit https://gdc.georgia.gov.