Victims Visitors’ Day is scheduled in Dahlonega for April 6, 2017, in recognition of National Crime Victims’ Rights Week

ATLANTA - The State Board of Pardons and Paroles is inviting crime victims to meet with the Board in Dahlonega on April 6, 2017.  A Victims Visitors’ Day is planned to give victims of crime another opportunity to speak directly with Parole Board Members. A Victims Visitors’ Day allows crime victims the opportunity to discuss with the Board Members the parole status of offenders who committed the crimes against them.

Parole Board Chairman Terry Barnard says the Victims Visitors’ Day will afford lasting opportunities for victims to involve themselves in the parole process.

“Victims Visitors’ Day, which I sometimes like to refer to as ‘Victim Input Day,’ is a powerful opportunity for crime victims to share their concerns and interests in upcoming parole cases. All five members of the Parole Board actively participate and give their undivided attention to those who wish to be heard,” stated Barnard. “Many times invaluable information is received and always noted in the inmate case file for future reference by the Board Members,” he added.

Since 2006, Parole Board Members have reached out to communities across Georgia, scheduling and conducting Victims Visitors’ Days. More than 3,000 crime victims and family members have met directly with the Board to discuss offender cases during the events.

The Victims Visitors’ Day in Dahlonega will be the Board’s 27th event and will coincide with National Crime Victims’ Rights Week, April 2-8, 2017.  This year’s national theme: Strength, Resilience, Justice; reflects a vision for the future in which all victims are strengthened by the response they receive, organizations are resilient in response to challenges, and communities are able to seek collective justice and healing.

The Parole Board contacted Enotah Judicial Circuit District Attorney Jeff Langley and the Lumpkin County Victim-Witness Assistance Office to partner in the Victims Visitors’ Day.

"As the District Attorney for Lumpkin, White, Towns and Union Counties, I am excited to honor and serve victims of crime through this special event. I want to thank the members of the Board of Pardons and Paroles for being available, along with my staff, to meet with victims and their families. The focus of the criminal justice system should always be upon those who have suffered at the hands of criminals and the safety of our community,” stated Langley.

The event will take place at the Lumpkin County Courthouse located at 325 Riley Road, Dahlonega, Georgia 30533.  Crime victims may contact the Georgia Office of Victim Services at 404-651-6668 to schedule appointments to meet with the Parole Board. Appointments will begin at 10 a.m. All Georgia crime victims are invited. Representatives from the Department of Corrections and the Department of Community Supervision will also attend and be available to answer questions from victims concerning the incarceration of an offender or if the offender is under community supervision.

The Parole Board’s offender files include victim impact statements, victim correspondence regarding the case and all of the information given to the Board at the Victims Visitors’ Day. Prior to making a parole decision in a case, Board Members review the victim information ensuring the victim’s voice is heard.  In order for the Parole Board to have victim information, crime victims should register with the Georgia Office of Victim Services. Those attending in Dahlonega who have not previously registered may do so at the event. The Georgia Office of Victim Services provides many services to the crime victim. Among them, notifying registered crime victims concerning an offender’s parole status and if the Board is considering a parole release.

For more information about the Georgia Parole Board, please contact the Office of Communications, Director Steve Hayes, at 404-657-9450 or [email protected]; also visit www.pap.georgia.gov.

###