Commissioner : Gregory C. Dozier

Director of Public Affairs : Joan Heath

Ryan Connor recognized

FORSYTH, Ga. –  The Georgia Department of Corrections (GDC) honored Correctional Officer Ryan Connor as the James Henderson Award recipient at the 14th Annual GDC Awards ceremony on June 19 at GDC headquarters in Forsyth, Ga.

Several key officials were on hand for the ceremony, which was attended by more than 200 guests. Making the award presentation with Commissioner Greg Dozier was Chief of Staff Timothy C. Ward, Assistant Commissioners Ricky Myrick, Scott Poitevint, Jay Sanders, Randy Sauls, and Assistant Director of Professional Development Tim Williams and Director of Professional Standards Clay Nix.

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 Connor’s courage exemplifies the memory of Bobby Franklin,” said Assistant Commissioner of Facilities, Ricky Myrick. “We appreciate his service to his facility and the state of Georgia.”

Connor began his career with the department in September 2017. As a cadet, he displayed the ability to work well with others and used good judgment when dealing with offenders and issues. Upon returning from BCOT, Connor was assigned to the Tier Unit at Valdosta State Prison.

About the Georgia Department of Corrections (GDC)

The Georgia Department of Corrections (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.