State Board of Pardons and Paroles Fiscal Year 2015 Annual Report
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It has been my honor to serve as the Executive Director for the State Board of Pardons and Paroles during a pivotal time in Georgia’s criminal justice reform initiatives. Led by Governor Nathan Deal, Georgia embarked on criminal justice reform in an effort to make all Georgians safer. The passage of HB 310 and the creation of the Department of Community Supervision (DCS) in FY15 were significant steps in this process and marked the beginning of a new era for criminal justice operations in Georgia. With the creation of DCS, officers began supervising returning citizens according to their geographic location, rather than their supervision status (i.e. probation or parole). This established a "One Officer, One Family, One Community" supervision model. This philosophy, as stated by Governor Nathan Deal, "...will improve government efficiency, save lives and get better outcomes."
The State Board of Pardons and Paroles has fully supported this effort from the beginning. This significant change has resulted in opportunities to redefine our identity and further highlight the importance of the agency’s operations to the criminal justice system and to our citizens.
As we embrace criminal justice reforms, the State Board of Pardons and Paroles continues to be nationally recognized as a leading paroling authority, as parole officials worldwide look to Georgia for guidance regarding how parole works.
In Georgia, the Board of Pardons and Paroles is the only entity with the constitutional authority to exercise executive clemency in all its forms (i.e. parole, supervised reprieve, medical reprieve, compassionate reprieve, conditional transfer, commutation, standard and special conditions of supervised release, revocation or modification of release, restoration of rights, pardon issuance, firearm rights restoration, death sentence commutation).
This authority places the Parole Board in a unique position to positively affect the criminal justice landscape in Georgia, while exercising the responsibility that comes with that authority. Our responsibilities include the following: to ensure the Board continues to serve the citizens of Georgia to the best of its abilities, placing public safety first; to protect victims' rights and ensure that victims have a voice in the criminal justice system and their voices are responded to appropriately; to provide offenders with opportunities, motivation, and encouragement to make positive changes in their lives and the lives around them; and to recognize that every decision made by the Board and its employees affects people's lives.
Our focus always has been and always will be "people." We change lives every single day, and what a truly amazing opportunity!
A Letter from Director Christopher Barnett
This authority places the Parole Board in a unique position to positively affect the criminal justice landscape in Georgia while exercising the responsibility that comes along with that authority. Our responsibilities include the following: to ensure the Board continues to serve the citizens of Georgia to the best of its abilities, placing public safety first; to protect victims' rights and ensure that victims have a voice in the criminal justice system and their voices are responded to appropriately; to provide offenders with opportunities, motivation, and encouragement to make positive changes in their lives and the lives around them; and to recognize that every decision made by the Board and its employees affects people's lives.