New Statewide PREA Coordinator

Commissioner : Brian Owens

Director of Public Affairs : Joan Heath

Sandra Partain Named

Forsyth - Georgia Department of Corrections (GDC) Commissioner Brian Owens announced the appointment of Sandra Partain as the Statewide PREA Coordinator. In this capacity, Partain will serve as liaison in all matters associated with the National Prison Rape Elimination Act (PREA) and subsequent U.S. Department of Justice Final Rule of 2012. She will also provide consultation, guidance, and assistance to prison and probation staff.

"Sandra is a dedicated and knowledgeable employee," said Commissioner Brian Owens. "She is an asset to the Department, and I look forward to her leadership in this new role."

Partain's career with the Department began in 1982 when she was hired as a Medical Records Secretary at Georgia Diagnostic & Classification Prison (GDCP) in Jackson. In 1984, she transferred to the Central Office in Atlanta and worked as a Senior Secretary until the latter part of 1985 when she began working as the Warden's Secretary at Burruss Correctional Training Center in Forsyth. Two years later, Partain returned to Central Office and was promoted in 1988 as the Administrative Assistant to one of the Deputy Commissioners of the Department. In 1993, Partain returned to GDCP as an Operations Analyst and became the Administrative Assistant to the Warden three years later. In 1998, she became the Institutional Investigator at GDCP and later served in that position at Burruss Correctional Training Center. In 2001, she was promoted to Departmental Investigator where she most recently served.

She completed the Basic Correctional Officer Training, earned Peace Officer Standards & Training Certification and was honored in 2005 as GDC's Investigator of the Year.

The GDC has one of the largest prison systems in the U.S. 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 12,000 employees. For more information on the GDC call 478-992-5247 or visit https://gdc.georgia.gov.