Commissioner: Gregory C. Dozier

Director of Public Affairs: Joan Heath

Strengthening the Family Bond

FORSYTH, Ga. – On March 2, Walker State Prison hosted their 6th annual Education Day Open House. The Education Day is designed to inform the offenders families about programming and classes offered through the Faith and Character Based Program while spending quality time together. 

“Our goal for Education Day is to reduce recidivism through family involvement in the Faith and Character Program,” said Commissioner Gregory C. Dozier.  “By allowing the offenders an opportunity to showcase the steps they are taking to make positive changes in their lives, we start rebuilding family relationships.”

The Education Open House was highly successful hosting 562 family members and 231 offenders.  Throughout the day, the children were entertained with puppet shows, magic shows and face painting.  According to Senior Counselor Ryan Clark, “Open House is a catalyst event for the offenders to start the amends owed to their families and to give them the assurance that they are working to become better fathers, sons, uncles, brothers, and ultimately community members.”

Walker State Prison is a Faith and Character Based Prison that provides a two-year curriculum of personal and spiritual growth, as well as, development under the supervision of the Program Coordinator.  It is designed to give the participants the skills needed to explore and choose alternatives to criminal thinking and behavior through emphasis on spiritual, moral, and character development.

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.

Contact

Manager of Communications Lori Benoit