Parole
BOPP Annual Report FY2001 — Georgia Parole Board
The FY2001 Annual Report of the Georgia State Board of Pardons and Paroles details the agency's operations, emphasizing its role in parole selection, offender supervision, and victim advocacy. Key data points include 10,164 total releases, 3,383 parole revocations, and a parolee population of 21,431, with a reported 87% parolee employment rate compared to a 50% pre-arrest rate. The report highlights the agency's Results Driven Supervision model, its 90% policy for violent offenders (8,664 decisions rendered since January 1998), and its restorative justice and victim advocacy programs, positioning the Board as a national leader in public safety solutions.
Key Findings
The most impactful data from this research collection.
$49.80
Parole Costs 10x Less Than Prison
Statistic90%
95% of Inmates Return to Society
Statistic87%
Parolee Employment Rate
Statistic18%
Recidivism Cut by Cognitive Training
StatisticAll Data Points
152 verified data points extracted from primary sources.
Total FY2001 releases Statistic
In FY2001, the Georgia Board of Pardons and Paroles executed 10,164 total release actions, including 7,305 paroles, 2,242 supervised reprieves, 615 conditional transfers, and 2 commutations.
10,164 releases
Total FY2001 parole revocations Statistic
In FY2001, the Georgia Board of Pardons and Paroles reported 3,383 total parole revocations.
3,383 revocations
Total FY2001 discharges Statistic
In FY2001, the Georgia Board of Pardons and Paroles reported 7,189 total discharges, including 5,669 discharges from parole, 1,355 discharges from supervised reprieve, and 165 commutations to discharge parole.
7,189 discharges
Total FY2001 parolee population Statistic
In FY2001, the total parolee population under supervision was 21,431, including 19,576 Georgia releases in Georgia, 578 out-of-state releases in Georgia, and 1,277 Georgia releases out of state.
21,431 parolees
Total decisions under Parole Decision Guidelines Statistic
In FY2001, the Georgia Board of Pardons and Paroles made 13,630 total decisions under Parole Decision Guidelines.
13,630 decisions
Total life sentence decisions Statistic
In FY2001, the Georgia Board of Pardons and Paroles made 712 total life sentence decisions, including 577 denials of parole to life cases and 135 grants of parole to life cases.
712 decisions
Total FY2001 expenditures Statistic
The Georgia Board of Pardons and Paroles reported total expenditures of $50,837,957 for FY2001, including $39,893,624 for personal services, $1,801,022 for regular operating expenses, and $9,143,311 for other expenses.
$50.8M
Parolee supervision fees collected Statistic
In FY2001, the Georgia Board of Pardons and Paroles collected $1,129,047 in parolee supervision fees, which are returned to the state treasury general fund.
$1.1M
Parolee restitution fees collected Statistic
In FY2001, the Georgia Board of Pardons and Paroles collected $210,022 in parolee restitution fees, which reimburse specific victims harmed by an offender's crime.
$210,022
Parolee victims compensation fees collected Statistic
In FY2001, the Georgia Board of Pardons and Paroles collected $196,367 in parolee victims compensation fees, which are deposited to the fund providing payment to other Georgia victims of crime.
$196,367
Total parolee fees collected Statistic
In FY2001, the Georgia Board of Pardons and Paroles collected a total of $1,535,436 in parolee fees, including supervision, restitution, and victims compensation fees.
$1.5M
Daily cost of prison confinement vs. parole supervision Statistic
The Georgia Board of Pardons and Paroles reports that it costs $49.80 per day to confine an offender in prison, compared to $2.90 per day for community supervision on parole.
$49.80 vs. parole supervision cost per day
Percentage of Georgia inmates returning to society Statistic
More than 90 percent of Georgia's inmates eventually return to society, making prison a temporary crime deterrent for most.
90%
Nonviolent offenders as percentage of parole population Statistic
Nonviolent offenders comprise 83 percent of Georgia's parole population.
83%
90% policy decisions rendered Statistic
From implementation of the 90% policy in January 1998 through the end of FY2001, the Parole Board rendered 8,664 decisions under its provisions.
8,664 decisions
Victim advocates communications Statistic
In FY2001, the Board's victim advocates communicated with nearly 6,000 victims or representatives through written correspondence, and 3,000 more by phone.
6,000 victims contacted vs. phone contacts
Cases postponed or cancelled due to victim protest Statistic
In FY2001, 97 percent of the cases that were strongly protested by victims and the community were postponed or cancelled.
97%
Victim services satisfaction rating Statistic
Fiscal 2001 year-end surveys reflect a 99 percent good or excellent rating for the Office of Victim Advocacy.
99%
Parolee community service hours Statistic
In FY2001, parolees provided 1,000 hours of labor monthly to non-profit agencies under the Restorative Justice Program.
1,000 hours per month
Face-to-face field visits by parole officers Statistic
In FY2001, parole officers logged more than 170,000 face-to-face field visits with parolees, including 7,000 on weekends.
170,000 visits vs. weekend visits
Parolee employment rate Statistic
The FY2001 parolee employment rate was 87 percent, compared to a pre-arrest rate of 50 percent.
87% vs. pre-arrest employment rate
Inmates reading below 6th grade proficiency Statistic
Nearly 40 percent of Georgia's inmates read at less than 6th grade proficiency.
40%
Drug tests conducted in FY2001 Statistic
In FY2001, the Georgia Board of Pardons and Paroles conducted 59,545 drug tests on parolees.
59,545 drug tests
Offenders with history of drug or alcohol abuse Statistic
More than 70 percent of Georgia's offenders have abused drugs or alcohol, and many of those were convicted for crimes directly or indirectly related to its effects.
70%
Recidivism reduction from Reasoning and Rehabilitation program Statistic
Evaluations conducted by independent researchers show an 18 percent reduction in recidivism when Reasoning and Rehabilitation class graduates are measured against control groups.
18%
Parolees with mental health history Statistic
Approximately seven percent of the parole population has a history of mental health problems, and 58 percent of those are also substance abusers.
7% vs. percentage of mentally ill parolees who are substance abusers
Women on parole Statistic
In FY2001, there were 2,300 women on parole in Georgia.
2,300 women
Atlanta Day Reporting Center capacity Statistic
The Atlanta Day Reporting Center, which opened in June 2001, provides 125 probationers and parolees with structured daily programs in GED preparation, substance abuse recovery, and cognitive skills training.
125 offenders
Volunteers trained for One Church-One Inmate program Statistic
During FY2001, the Parole Board trained 125 volunteers for the One Church-One Inmate program.
125 volunteers
Citizens reached through presentations Statistic
During FY2001, Board representatives delivered presentations to more than 50,000 citizens on specific crime topics.
50,000 citizens
FY2001 correctional population Statistic
The FY2001 correctional population in Georgia was 192,768, not including offenders under private probation supervision.
192,768 offenders
Parole Board established by Constitutional amendment Legal fact
The Georgia Board of Pardons and Paroles was created by Constitutional amendment in 1943 and has been in continuous operation since then, establishing it as one of the nation's most stable and influential paroling authorities.
No legal entitlement to parole Legal fact
No Georgia prison inmate is legally entitled to parole. Most, however, are eligible for parole and entitled by law to a parole consideration.
Life sentence inmates denied parole wait 8 years for review Legal fact
Life sentence inmates who are denied parole are not entitled to another review for eight years, although the Board may reconsider any case at any time at their discretion.
Parole Decision Guidelines in use since 1979 Policy
Since 1979, the Parole Board has reviewed non-life sentence cases under Parole Decision Guidelines, one of the country's first standardized methods of predicting success on parole.
90% policy for violent crimes Policy
Offenders convicted for certain violent crimes are subject to the Parole Board's policy requiring 90 percent service of their court-imposed prison term before possible parole. The policy was self-initiated and implemented in January 1998.
Results Driven Supervision implementation Policy
The Georgia Parole Board implemented Results Driven Supervision (RDS), a new model of parole management, in December 1997. The model emphasizes intervention and uses advanced technology for continuous analysis of supervision strategies.
Electronic parolee case management system Policy
Georgia Parole's electronic parolee case management system was implemented statewide in December 1997. It was produced at a fraction of the cost originally quoted by outside vendors and has become a model for adaptation by other community correction…
Restorative Justice Program Policy
The Restorative Justice Program encompasses projects designed to aid communities harmed by crime. Under the community service program, non-violent parolees perform jobs for qualified, non-profit agencies.
TOPPSTEP program Policy
The Offender Parolee Probationer State Training Program (TOPPSTEP) is a partnership of Parole, the Department of Corrections, and the Department of Labor to expedite the offender's re-entry to society while matching skills to positions of highest pa…
Treatment Aftercare for Probationers and Parolees (TAPP) program Policy
The Treatment Aftercare for Probationers and Parolees (TAPP) program, a collaboration of Corrections, Parole, and Human Resources, operates statewide to provide a specially assigned mental health caseworker for offenders released from prison.
One Church-One Inmate program Policy
The One Church-One Inmate program is a collaboration of Catholic Social Services, the Department of Corrections, and the Parole Board, which provides selected offenders with multi-level support beginning prior to prison release and extending through…
Offender Re-entry Program Policy
The Offender Re-entry Program was initiated toward the end of FY2001 with goals similar to the One Church-One Inmate program.
Reasoning and Rehabilitation program Policy
Reasoning and Rehabilitation is a 72-hour federally funded curriculum led by specially trained parole officers. Evaluations show an 18 percent reduction in recidivism when class graduates are measured against control groups.
Thinking for a Change program Policy
Thinking for a Change is a shorter course emphasizing problem solving and communication skills, delivered by the Parole Board.
Moral Reconation Therapy Policy
The Parole Board contracts with an outside vendor to provide Moral Reconation Therapy, an offender-funded cognitive skills training program.
Atlanta Day Reporting Center Policy
The Atlanta Day Reporting Center, which opened in June 2001, is a joint project by the Parole Board and the Department of Corrections. It provides 125 probationers and parolees with structured daily programs in GED preparation, substance abuse recov…
Women's Services program manager Policy
In FY2001, the Board created a statewide program manager for Women's Services who will develop new gender-specific programs for the 2,300 women on parole.
Victim advocacy program evolution Finding
Evolving from a one-person victim assistance program created in 1991, Georgia Parole's Office of Victim Advocacy now employs four full-time staff members at the Atlanta headquarters.
Parole Board operates 60 field offices Statistic
The Parole Board operates 60 field offices across the state, making it intricately tied to Georgia's communities through its employees.
60 field offices
Parole Board citizen advisory council Statistic
The Parole Board's council of citizen advisors is a panel of 14 members who represent community and victim interests across the state.
14 members
Other Board actions in FY2001 Statistic
In FY2001, the Board granted 533 pardons, 122 medical/compassionate reprieves, and 332 restorations of rights. There were 2,445 visitor interviews, 597 revocation hearings, and 88 preliminary hearings.
Whitworth Detention Center for male substance abuse Policy
The Whitworth Detention Center for males and Pulaski State Prison for females provide six-month confinement at facilities with substance abuse programs for parolees who fail community-based measures.
Homerville Parole Revocation Center Policy
The Homerville Parole Revocation Center houses revoked parolees needing long-term substance recovery treatment.
Electronic monitoring as transitional tool Policy
While electronic monitoring may be used as a punitive sanction for noncomplying parolees, its more common application is as a transitional tool to add structure for high-need parolees just released from prison. The Board is aiming to have this progr…
Parole officers are POST-certified peace officers Finding
Georgia's parole officers are POST-certified peace officers who work daily with their law-enforcement colleagues to protect communities from crime. They are also official partners of GEMA, the Georgia Emergency Management Agency.
Governor's Public Safety Award Finding
The Governor's Public Safety Award honored executive director Charles Topetzes and the agency for developing the revolutionary new supervision system.
Parole Board leadership since 1943 Finding
The State Board of Pardons and Paroles has been in continuous operation since 1943, establishing it as one of the nation's most stable and influential paroling authorities.
Parole Decision Guidelines risk assessment Finding
More than 20 years ago the Board designed Parole Decision Guidelines, a risk-assessment tool which aided the Board in making consistent, sound decisions on parole. Guidelines installed the Parole Board as a national leader in providing solutions tha…
Parole Decision Guidelines crime severity levels Finding
The Parole Decision Guidelines grid uses crime-severity levels from level one, incorporating offenses such as shoplifting, to level seven, which includes crimes such as aggravated assault.
Parole Decision Guidelines not applied to life sentences Finding
Board members do not apply Parole Decision Guidelines to life-sentence offenders, whose suitability for parole is dictated by the nature of their crime.
Special parole stipulations Finding
Board members frequently insert special parole stipulations to the standard conditions which appear on all parole certificates. These add-on conditions typically mandate psychological treatment, electronic monitoring, restitution to victims, banishm…
Parole Board selects lowest-risk offenders Finding
Board members select the lowest-risk offenders for parole, acknowledging that a certain number of inmates must be paroled to allow room for newly sentenced, incoming prisoners.
Minor parole violations handled at district level Finding
Minor parole violations are handled at the district level through a channel of progressive discipline. If the parolee does not respond to local sanctions or if his behavior threatens public safety, the parolee appears before Board members to determi…
Victim advocates' unique role Finding
Parole's victim advocates occupy a unique role: viewed by the public they are Board representatives who understand legal and functional processes of the agency and have direct access to Board members; within the agency they are recognized as committ…
Victim Impact Statements and Victim Notification forms available electronically Finding
Both Victim Impact Statements and Victim Notification forms can now be submitted electronically through the Board's Web site.
Victim advocates visit regional cities Finding
Victims outside of Atlanta may meet with a Board representative who visits Albany, Savannah, Augusta, and Macon one day each month.
Technology development philosophy Finding
The Board's technological progress has been realized through its long-standing practice of turning to its experienced staff to create original solutions from available resources.
Electronic pay stubs and travel expense forms Finding
During FY2001, agency employees began receiving pay stubs as well as submitting travel expense forms electronically, saving mail and labor costs.
Financial reports stored on CDs Finding
In FY2001, the accounting division began storing financial reports on CDs, continuing the administrative conversion to electronic records.
Background investigations becoming electronic Finding
Soon the voluminous background investigations required for all parole-eligible offenders will be entirely electronic, bringing Georgia Parole close to that 'paperless' goal.
Parole officer training with simulated caseloads Finding
During FY2001, agency trainers began instructing parole officer recruits in computer skills and supervision tactics with simulated caseloads loaded onto laptops.
Parole as last opportunity for reform Finding
Building life experiences within the constraints of ever-diminishing options, a person may develop ways of perceiving and responding to the world which perpetuate a cycle of failure harmful to himself and others. Breaking that pattern is critical to…
Parole targets four critical deficiency areas Finding
Georgia Parole targets its resources to address areas where deficiency is most correlated to criminal behavior: education, vocation, substance abuse, and cognitive skills.
Parolee progress impacts children Finding
When a parole officer reports that a parolee's son, formerly indifferent to school and rude to teachers, now does his homework nightly with his father who is preparing for his GED, the significance of one change in breaking the generational cycle of…
Employer tax credit for hiring offenders Policy
Employers receive a tax-credit for hiring offenders, an incentive which can open job doors for parolees with limited work experience.
Parolees required to hold steady job Policy
While under supervision, parolees are required to hold a steady job, but those who have shown good work habits on parole generally continue the pattern even without that mandate.
Substance abuse assessment and treatment referrals Policy
Upon their initial report to the parole office, at-risk offenders are referred to professional substance abuse counselors for assessment and treatment recommendations which parole officers then coordinate.
Progressive sanctions for drug test failures Policy
Parole officers conduct routine and random drug tests on parolees, using progressive sanctions for failure, including electronic monitoring, inpatient treatment, and revocation to a prison with specialized programs.
Relapse management approach Finding
Substance abuse recovery is a tenuous path, especially for the long-term addict. Parole professionals know that relapses may occur before new patterns of behavior are established. Unless the offender poses a public threat, parole officers and substa…
Criminal thinking patterns description Finding
Criminal thinking patterns are uniquely formed and characterized by rigid, faulty perceptions of everyday situations. What separates the criminal pattern from that of an ordinary reactive personality is the offender's lifetime of negative experience…
Mentally ill parolees require special supervision Finding
Mentally ill or retarded parolees require special supervision support from the community. The Board uses community and agency specialists to provide treatment and also trains parole officers in specific supervision techniques.
Women parolees' unique challenges Finding
Rebuilding trust with their children is a major concern for female parolees. Women also need training in marketable job skills, and in particular areas of communication such as self-assertion and how to maneuver effectively through the chains of soc…
Community mentors for parolees Finding
Parole professionals enlist citizens to serve as mentors for the parolee during his supervision term and afterwards. These volunteer mentors provide the ex-offender with a continuing apprenticeship in life skills, and their partnership helps him for…
Most adult offenders reconnect to community with skills Finding
Current research shows that most adult offenders provided with essential skills reconnect to the community and establish the positive daily interactions which reinforce a new lifestyle of responsible conduct.
County jail subsidy for parolees Statistic
In FY2001, the Georgia Board of Pardons and Paroles spent $835,500 on county jail subsidy for parolees.
$835,500
Salaries expenditure Statistic
In FY2001, the Georgia Board of Pardons and Paroles spent $28,988,899 on salaries.
$29.0M
Health insurance expenditure Statistic
In FY2001, the Georgia Board of Pardons and Paroles spent $3,828,528 on health insurance for employees.
$3.8M
Retirement expenditure Statistic
In FY2001, the Georgia Board of Pardons and Paroles spent $4,259,241 on retirement contributions.
$4.3M
Real estate rentals expenditure Statistic
In FY2001, the Georgia Board of Pardons and Paroles spent $3,211,714 on real estate rentals.
$3.2M
Telecommunications expenditure Statistic
In FY2001, the Georgia Board of Pardons and Paroles spent $1,074,454 on telecommunications.
$1.1M
Per diem, fees, contracts expenditure Statistic
In FY2001, the Georgia Board of Pardons and Paroles spent $2,055,293 on per diem, fees, and contracts.
$2.1M
Computer charges expenditure Statistic
In FY2001, the Georgia Board of Pardons and Paroles spent $743,134 on computer charges.
$743,134
Travel expenditure Statistic
In FY2001, the Georgia Board of Pardons and Paroles spent $565,135 on travel.
$565,135
Motor vehicle purchases expenditure Statistic
In FY2001, the Georgia Board of Pardons and Paroles spent $340,750 on motor vehicle purchases.
$340,750
Equipment purchases expenditure Statistic
In FY2001, the Georgia Board of Pardons and Paroles spent $305,443 on equipment purchases.
$305,443
Walter Ray appointed to Board in 1996 Finding
Walter S. Ray, of Douglas, was appointed to the Board in 1996. He had represented the 19th Georgia District in the State Senate for twelve years, serving in leadership roles including President Pro Tempore and Majority Leader. He has been elected ch…
Bobby Whitworth appointed to Board in 1993 Finding
Bobby Whitworth, of Hartwell, was appointed to the Board in 1993 to fill an interim term, and then reappointed in 1996. He joined the Georgia Department of Corrections in 1973 and rose through the ranks until being named Commissioner in 1989, overse…
Garfield Hammonds appointed to Board in 1995 Finding
Garfield Hammonds, Jr., of Atlanta, was appointed to the Board in 1995. He joined the DEA as a Special Agent in 1969, working undercover in Detroit and New York, and later became Special Agent in Charge of the Southeast Region.
Dr. Betty Ann Cook appointed to Board in 1997 Finding
Dr. Betty Ann Cook was appointed to the Board in January 1997, 25 years after she began her career as a criminal justice instructor at Morris Brown College. In 1995, Governor Miller appointed her as Deputy Commissioner for the Department of Natural …
Dr. Eugene Walker appointed to Board in 1999 Finding
Dr. Eugene Walker from DeKalb County was appointed to the Board by Governor Roy Barnes in April 1999. He holds a Ph.D. in History from Duke University and served in the State Senate from 1984 to 1992. In January 1995, Governor Zell Miller named him …
September 11, 2001 impact on Parole Board Finding
Two months after the close of FY2001, the country suffered horrific crimes of terrorism which shattered the individual and collective sense of safety and freedom. The Parole Board recognized its duty and opportunity as a public-safety agency to help…
Parole Board meets with criminal justice representatives Finding
Board officials and field professionals meet frequently with local and state criminal justice representatives, public officials, victims, community leaders, and private citizens, inviting their suggestions and questions that will guide the agency to…
Board members review offender files Finding
Board members make parole selections by studying agency investigations on the offender's crime, criminal history, family and educational background, medical and psychological evaluations, and prison conduct. Also included in those files are comments…
Board members vote privately on parole ballots Finding
Board members vote privately on a ballot contained in the inmate's file. A majority determines parole. Individual votes by Board members are then averaged to obtain a tentative parole date.
Parole Board protected from political influence Finding
The agency was well-constructed: It contains authority to carry out established needs of the criminal justice system, flexibility to address the unforeseen challenges, and protection to make decisions on paroles and policy free from political influe…
Parole Board mission statement Policy
The Parole Board's mission is to: Protect the public by thoroughly investigating and processing inmate cases and making responsible, just, and equitable parole decisions while balancing punishment and rehabilitation; Respond to the needs and concern…
Parole certificate conditions Policy
An offender signs his parole certificate which mandates required behavior, including fulfillment of financial obligations such as child support or victim restitution.
Domestic Violence Awareness Month participation Finding
During Domestic Violence Awareness Month in October and National Crime Victims Week in April, all of the Board's field offices participated in, and frequently coordinated, local events of commemoration or awareness.
Parole Board presentations to youth Finding
Many of the Board's presentations were to Georgia's youth, informing them of the severe consequences of drug use and gang activity, as well as ways to resist the peer pressure that may lead them in that direction.
Parole Board organizational structure Finding
The Parole Board's organizational structure includes Legal Services, Victim Advocacy Office, Clemency/Parole Selection Division, Field Operations Division, Community Based Services Division, and Administrative Services Division, all under the Direct…
Six regional offices Finding
The Parole Board operates six regional offices: Northwest, Northeast, Metro, Southwest, Southeast, and Central regions.
Parole Board central office location Finding
The Board of Pardons and Paroles central office is located at 2 Martin Luther King, Jr. Drive, S.E., Suite 458, Balcony Level, East Tower, Atlanta, Georgia 30334-4909.
Parole Board website Finding
The Parole Board maintains a website at www.pap.state.ga.us.
Executive Director of Parole Finding
Charles Topetzes served as Director of Parole for the Georgia Board of Pardons and Paroles in FY2001.
Legal Services Director Finding
Tracy D. Masters served as Director of Legal Services for the Georgia Board of Pardons and Paroles in FY2001.
Victim Advocacy Director Finding
Trixie Lee served as Director of Victim Advocacy for the Georgia Board of Pardons and Paroles in FY2001.
Public Information Director Finding
Kathy Browning served as Director of Public Information for the Georgia Board of Pardons and Paroles in FY2001.
Clemency Administration Director Finding
Michael Sullivan served as Division Director of Clemency Administration/Parole Selection for the Georgia Board of Pardons and Paroles in FY2001.
Community Based Services Director Finding
James Rawls served as Division Director of Community Based Services for the Georgia Board of Pardons and Paroles in FY2001.
Field Operations Director Finding
James Bralley served as Division Director of Field Operations for the Georgia Board of Pardons and Paroles in FY2001.
Administration Division Director Finding
Judy Atcheson served as Division Director of Administration for the Georgia Board of Pardons and Paroles in FY2001.
Executive Assistant Finding
John Walker served as Executive Assistant for the Georgia Board of Pardons and Paroles in FY2001.
Legislative Services contact Finding
Stephanie W. McConnell served as Legislative Services contact for the Georgia Board of Pardons and Paroles in FY2001.
Parole Board institutional services locations Finding
The Parole Board maintains institutional services at Georgia Diagnostic and Classification Prison, Lee Arrendale State Prison, Georgia State Prison, Coastal State Prison, Baldwin State Prison, and Metro State Prison.
Parole centers locations Finding
The Parole Board operates parole centers in Atlanta (Day Reporting Center), Marietta, Savannah, Macon, Columbus, Augusta, South Metro, and DeKalb.
Parole Board district offices Finding
The Parole Board operates district offices and sub-offices in cities across Georgia including Rome, Gainesville, Athens, Atlanta, Thomaston, Milledgeville, Thomson, Dublin, Warner Robins, Albany, Thomasville, Moultrie, Jesup, Waycross, Fitzgerald, J…
Parole Board regional directors Finding
The Parole Board's regional directors in FY2001 were: Ronnie Blackstock (Southeast), Caryl Deems (Central), Blake Griffin (Southwest), Randy Green (Metro), Danny Hunter (Northwest), and Chip White (Northeast).
Parole Board victim advocacy contact information Finding
For more information on Parole's services to victims, call 404.651.6668 in the Atlanta area, or toll-free 800.593.9474, or visit the Web site: www.pap.state.ga.us>Victim Advocacy.
TOPPSTEP contact information Finding
For more information about TOPPSTEP, call 404.657.9400.
Atlanta Day Reporting Center contact information Finding
For more information about the Atlanta Day Reporting Center, call 404.699.5151.
Parole Board public information contact Finding
For further information about topics covered in the report, contact the Office of Public Information at 404.651.5897.
Parole Board victim advocate scheduling Finding
For scheduling information to meet with a Board representative in Albany, Savannah, Augusta, or Macon, call 404-656-5712.
Parole Board executive line Finding
The Parole Board's executive line is (404) 657-9451.
Parole Board main phone number Finding
The Parole Board's main phone number is (404) 656-5651.
Parole Board annual report publication details Finding
The FY2001 Annual Report is published by the State Board of Pardons and Paroles, Office of Public Information. Director: Kathy Browning; Editor/Photographer: Marsha Bailey; Graphic Designer: Richard Oleson. Text, but not photographs, may be reproduc…
Parole Board chairman's message on September 11 Quote
Chairman Walter Ray stated: 'Two months after the close of this fiscal year, our country suffered horrific crimes of terrorism which shattered our individual and collective sense of safety and freedom. Clearly evident to us was our duty and opportun…
Parole Board chairman on public safety Quote
Chairman Walter Ray stated: 'Public safety depends not just on removing offenders from the community, but on successfully reinstating them.'
Parole Board chairman on agency mission Quote
Chairman Walter Ray stated: 'I am particularly proud that our agency maximizes that post-prison transition by immersing offenders in programs and structure to reduce the risk for future crime.'
Parole Board chairman on public service Quote
Chairman Walter Ray stated: 'At no time have all of us at the Parole Board been more grateful for the privilege of public service; at no time have we been more confident of success in finding better solutions to safeguard our communities.'
Parole Board on investing public funds Quote
The report states: 'Ultimately it comes down to determining—one by one—which offender we as a society elect to confine at $49.80 per day, which offender we can provisionally release to community supervision at $2.90 per day, and which of those parol…
Parole Board on crime cycle Quote
The report states: 'Without effective post-prison support an offender's exit and return to prison may be separated by only a brief, unstable sojourn in society. The Board applies strategies to weaken, intercept, and ultimately break the crime cycle …
Parole Board on victims' influence Quote
The report states: 'Forgotten, if it had ever been realized, was that victims of crimes are further injured by a criminal justice system that fails to honor their need for participation as well as information.'
Parole Board on parole as last opportunity Quote
The report states: 'Breaking that pattern is critical to public safety; parole is often the last opportunity to do it.'
Parole Board on supervision Quote
The report states: 'A parole certificate opens the prison door, but responsible parole supervision helps the offender emerge from the destructive confinement of his own deficits. Good parole supervision intercepts crime at its core.'
Parole Board on community mentors Quote
The report states: 'Not only do these volunteer mentors provide the ex-offender with a continuing apprenticeship in life skills, their partnership helps him form a new identity in the community based on affiliation rather than alienation. That shift…
Parole Board on Results Driven Supervision Quote
The report states: 'That breakthrough was revolutionary, finally allowing practitioners to quickly, consistently, and thoroughly evaluate supervision practices and programs in real time, discarding those that fail and refining those that work.'
Parole Board on cognitive skills training Quote
The report states: 'Then they enter a world of options which some parolees have described as a "foreign land," accessed by a code that others knew all along.'
Parole Board on public safety solutions Quote
The report states: 'Working with what national criminal justice experts call cutting-edge leadership, equipped with advanced technology, and dedicated, experienced staff, Georgia's Parole Board focuses on solutions which deliver public-safety result…
Parole Board on crime prevention investment Quote
The report states: 'No state can continue to build prisons to accommodate the growing pool of felons without siphoning money from health, education, or other areas which foster the well-being of all citizens while providing society's first level of …
Parole Board on taxpayer dollars Quote
The report states: 'Nor can taxpayer dollars be showered at a vast array of experimental offender re-entry programs in the hope that one will eventually prove effective in lowering recidivism.'
Parole Board on public security Quote
The report states: 'Georgia's citizens expect and deserve public-safety solutions which respect all levels of their security, including financial.'
Sources
1 cited sources backing this research.
Primary
Official report
Key Entities
Organizations, people, facilities, and other named entities referenced in this research.
Atlanta Day Reporting Center
[facility]
Betty Ann Cook
[person]
Bobby Whitworth
[person]
Catholic Social Services
[organization]
Charles Topetzes
[person]
Dr. Eugene Walker
[person]
Drug Enforcement Administration
[organization]
Garfield Hammonds, Jr.
[person]
Georgia Board of Pardons and Paroles
[organization]
Georgia Department of Corrections
[organization]
Georgia Department of Human Resources
[organization]
Georgia Department of Juvenile Justice
[organization]
Georgia Department of Labor
[organization]
Georgia Department of Natural Resources
[organization]
Georgia Emergency Management Agency
[organization]
Homerville Parole Revocation Center
[facility]
James Bralley
[person]
James Rawls
[person]
John Walker
[person]
Judy Atcheson
[person]
Kathy Browning
[person]
Michael Sullivan
[person]
Moral Reconation Therapy
[program]
Offender Re-entry Program
[program]
Office of Victim Advocacy
[program]
One Church-One Inmate
[program]
Otis Clifton
[person]
Parole Decision Guidelines
[program]
Pulaski State Prison
[facility]
Reasoning and Rehabilitation
[program]
Restorative Justice Program
[program]
Results Driven Supervision
[program]
Roy Barnes
[person]
State Office of Highway Safety
[organization]
Stephanie W. McConnell
[person]
TAPP
[program]
Thinking for a Change
[program]
TOPPSTEP
[program]
Tracy D. Masters
[person]
Trixie Lee
[person]
Walter Ray
[person]
Whitworth Detention Center
[facility]
Zell Miller
[person]
Related Topics
Research topics that draw on data from this collection.
Parole & Sentencing
Georgia's parole system functions as a powerful but opaque gatekeeper, releasing only a fraction of eligible people despite a 72% success rate and $343 million in annual cost avoidance. Meanwhile, life sentences have ballooned to one in five people in Georgia prisons, fueled by truth-in-sentencing policies and a reluctance to use release mechanisms, even as the state pours $634 million in new corrections spending into a system marked by extreme racial disparities and a near-total lack of compassionate release structures.
6,560 data points
Population & Demographics
Georgia locks up approximately 53,000 people in state prisons, another 190,000 on felony probation, and more than 95,000 across all correctional facilities — ranking the state fourth in total prison population and seventh in per capita incarceration. One in five prisoners is serving a life sentence, more than one in four is over age 50, and the system’s demographic strains are mirrored by soaring homicides, drug overdoses, and a deepening data void on health and violence.
4,243 data points
Recidivism & Reentry
Georgia’s public narrative touts a low three-year felony reconviction rate of 25–27%, but this narrow metric masks a deeper crisis: the state releases 14,000–16,000 people annually with minimal reentry support, contributing to a national five-year rearrest rate of 76.6%. With nearly one in three incarcerated people over 50, spiraling healthcare costs, and a parole system that achieves a 72% successful completion rate, Georgia faces a stark choice between investing in evidence-based reentry or absorbing the escalating fiscal and human costs of system failure.
6,376 data points
Violence & Safety
Between 2018 and 2023, at least 142 people were killed inside Georgia state prisons, and 2024 became the deadliest year yet as official counts diverged sharply from independent tallies. The U.S. Department of Justice found violence driven by severe understaffing, widespread contraband, and classification failures. GPS's synthesis of state, federal, and independent records shows a system in which sexual violence is rarely substantiated, deaths are undercounted, and historic new spending has not interrupted rising homicide and assault rates.
3,639 data points