House Bill 310 Changes Parole Supervision Beginning in FY 2016
FY 2015 marked the final year the State Board of Pardons and Paroles conducted supervision of parolees in the community.
Near the end of FY15, the General Assembly passed, and the Governor signed, landmark legislation in the area of criminal justice reform. House Bill 310 went into effect on July 1, 2015, creating the Department of Community Supervision (DCS). This new department is responsible for the supervision of all adult felony offenders and certain juvenile felony offenders in the state who have been released from restrictive custody.
Parole Supervision for FY 2015
According to the Bureau of Justice Statistics, at least 95% of all state prisoners will be released from prison at some point, nearly 80% to some form of community supervision. It is for this reason that parole supervision in FY15 continued to be a vital and indispensable component of the criminal justice system. Under the guidance of highly skilled and thoroughly trained parole officers, offenders transitioned from a prison environment back into society and were equipped with the tools they needed to be successful and productive citizens. Those offenders who violated the conditions of their release or otherwise posed a threat to the welfare of society were quickly held accountable and reincarcerated.
FY15 Parolee Population
During Fiscal Year 2015 (FY15), the population of offenders under parole supervision in Georgia decreased from 25,195 parolees on June 30, 2014, to 23,859 on June 30, 2015. During that time, of all Georgia parolees whose terms of supervision ended, 68% were successful, compared to the national successful completion rate average of 59% (estimated). The cumulative number of offenders under parole supervision in Georgia during the fiscal year was 37,162. Parole supervision during FY15 was conducted by the Parole Board’s nearly 300 parole officers located throughout the state. The average Georgia parole officer’s caseload during the fiscal year was 87 parolees.
Parole officers, in FY15, operated out of “Virtual Offices” in the form of state vehicles equipped with the latest technology. Georgia’s parole officers made 244,461 face-to-face contacts with offenders across the state during the fiscal year.
Virtual Office Concept Recognized by Google
In January 2015, Google recognized the State Board of Pardons and Paroles as a “Government Transformer” for its implementation of the Virtual Office concept. Google presents this honor to forward-thinking public servants and entities that work to transform government services through innovation with cutting-edge technology.
Field Services
Rick Jacobs
Director of Field Services
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