Victims have an open door to the Parole Board
"We received information on what goes into the Board’s decisions and we’re satisfied with that." - Levi Simon
eorgia crime victims were honored this past April in Jonesboro. The Victims Visitors' Day turned out to be the largest ever as the Parole Board met with 223 victims and family members. It surpassed all other previous events with the number of victims seen by the Board in one day.
Following an opening ceremony, the Board conducted face-to-face meetings throughout the day with crime victims. The victims shared their feelings, concerns and information with the Board about the impact of the crime that had been committed against them or their loved ones.
Crime victim Levi Simon Jr. says he’s grateful the Parole Board Members take time to sit down and listen to victims.
“We feel great. We feel we have important information about the defendant that we didn’t have before. That allows us to sleep better. We received information on what goes into the Board’s decisions and we’re satisfied with that,” said Simon.
Shiela Simon added, “When something that tragic happens in your life you seek information that helps you decide what you can do for yourself and for others. That’s important because it can happen to anyone.”
The Simons met with Board Member Brian Owens. Information given to the Board in these confidential meetings is added to the parole case file of the offender.
The Simon’s 17-year old son Levi was killed in 1998 while attending a party in Decatur. Donzell Johnson was convicted of murder and sentenced to life in prison but with parole eligibility. Johnson was denied parole in 2012; however the Board is mandated by law to reconsider him in the future.
During the opening ceremony, Parole Board Chairman Terry Barnard told the victims that a primary part of the Parole Board’s mission is to protect victims’ rights. Barnard says the Board goes beyond what the law requires regarding notification to victims if parole for an offender is being favorably considered.
“We choose to take a proactive approach. In 2014, the Board instructed the Georgia Office of Victim Services to do extensive searches to make sure all victims who want to be registered, are registered,” stated Barnard.
He says the Board has made every effort to register crime victims if the offender is parole eligible.
“It is our goal to meet with a crime victim face-to-face in a private setting where the victim can leave with the confidence that their interests and their experiences are being heard. Our goal is to provide an opportunity for every crime victim in this state to have an audience with at least one board member prior to final parole consideration.”
Clayton County District Attorney Tracy Graham Lawson told the audience of victims that they are the number one priority.
“We believe it is so crucially important to keep in contact so they (victims) don’t feel like they’re not being heard. Today is so wonderful because they are going to be heard by the Parole Board and the people that run the Pardons and Parole department so they can have input into whether or not the person that hurt them is paroled,” stated Lawson.
The Parole Board and the Georgia Office of Victim Services conducted today’s Victims Visitors’ Day in conjunction with the Clayton Judicial Circuit Victim-Witness Assistance Program. Registered crime victims are served through the Georgia Office of Victim Services. Today victims attending the Victims Visitors’ Day were able to receive offender parole status information and many victims previously not registered with the office were able to register.
The Victims Visitors’ Day was held at the S. Truett Cathy Professional Learning Center in Jonesboro. This was the Board’s 25th Victims Visitors’ Day since 2006. The Board has visited 17 different Georgia communities meeting with more than 2,800 crime victims.
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Parole Review/Summer 2016
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