Commissioner : Homer Bryson

Director of Public Affairs : Joan Heath

Officer Jeffery Erickson Honored

FORSYTH, Ga. — The Georgia Department of Corrections (GDC) presented Jeffery Erickson of the Gainesville Probation Office with the James Henderson Memorial Award at the 11th Annual GDC Awards ceremony on July 7 at the State Offices South at Tift College in Forsyth, Ga.

“We are so honored to recognize Jeffery’s commitment to community supervision and to the state with this award,” said Commissioner Homer Bryson. “He has a wealth of experience that extends regionally and locally which is truly an asset to our agency.” 

The James Henderson Award was created to honor the memory of Correctional Officer James Henderson of Georgia State Prison for placing service above self and extraordinary bravery beyond the call of duty. Officer Henderson died on June 3, 2002 of injuries sustained in the line of duty.  He was a valued officer at Georgia State Prison from 1994 —2002.  Henderson was an Army veteran who served in Korea, Germany and the United States.

Officer Erickson began his career as a Probation Officer in Florida and worked there for 15 years. He continued his law enforcement career by joining the Georgia Department of Corrections in September 2005. During his tenure, he has held a variety of position and oversaw a caseload of over 800 offenders. Officer Erickson utilizes his years of knowledge and experience to provide assistance to offenders. He is respected by Judges; the District Attorney’s Office and Public Defender’s Office; and all other customers. In addition, he is recognized as an informal mentor to co-workers and has assisted many of them with revocations. Erickson has now transferred to the Department of Community Supervision where he continues to supervise offenders within our communities.

Several key officials were on hand for the ceremony, which was attended by more than 200 guests. Making the award presentation with Commissioner Homer Bryson were Assistant Commissioner of Administration & Finance Scott Poitevint, Assistant Commissioner of Facilities Division Timothy C. Ward, and Board of Corrections Chair Rose Williams.

The GDC has one of the largest prison systems in the U.S. and is responsible for supervising nearly 55,000 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.

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