Flovilla – The State Board of Pardons and Paroles has announced the agency’s annual employee awards.

The awards were announced at the agency’s annual town hall held at Indian Springs State Park in Butts County. Parole Board Chairman Terry Barnard, Vice Chair David Herring, and Board Members Meg Heap, Joyette Holmes and Wayne Bennett and leadership joined Executive Director Chris Barnett in presenting the awards. 

The recipients of the agency awards are:

Katherine "Katie" Turner Employee of the Year Award – Georgia Office of Victim Services, Senior Victim Specialist Dajah Jones

Team Innovation Award – Clemency Division Pardon Admin Unit and DCS (Department of Community Supervision) I.T. unit

Community Impact Inreach Award – Clemency Division, Executive Assistant Laurie Reid

Community Impact Outreach Award – Clemency Division, GPEDS Team Member, Cheryl King

The GOAT (Greatest of All Time) Award - Clemency Division, Pardon Admin Assistant Caryl Deems 

Executive Director of Parole Chris Barnett says the agency staff are “public safety driven” and the selection of the award recipients is extremely difficult. 

“Our award winners have performed at an extremely high level helping us as an agency achieve our goal of enhancing our operations. If your mission is public safety like ours, you need dedicated, committed, and caring employees who are consistently looking for ways to excel to strengthen our agency and benefit our citizens, and we have those types of employees,” states Barnett.

Employees reaching service milestones were also recognized at the town hall. 

More about the award categories and 2024 recipients:

The Katherine “Katie” Turner Employee of the Year Award is given to an employee who consistently performs above and beyond what is required. The 2024 recipient is Georgia Office of Victim Services Senior Victim Specialist Dajah Jones.

Jones leads a team within the Georgia Office of Victim Services and is described by staff as dependable, authentic, and judicious, with a commitment to excellence. Accomplishments include the acquisition of $10,000 in combined grant funds used to provide information to hundreds of individuals during National Crime Victims’ Rights Week.

(About Katie Turner https://pap.georgia.gov/office-communications-news-publications-and-eve…)

The Innovation Award is given to an employee or group who creates alternate, better, and more efficient ways of completing tasks or assignments. This award winner may generate new processes that improve the agency's operations or improvise to complete an assignment when faced with obstacles. The Pardon Admin unit and DCS IT unit are the recipients for development of the agency’s new electronic pardon application. 

The Pardon and Restoration of Rights process in Georgia is now 100% electronic. Applications are completed online, and the fully integrated system allows the Board Members to review information and vote electronically. Orders are generated in an electronic format. The new system has increased agency efficiency and provides citizens with a streamlined process.

Read more https://pap.georgia.gov/press-releases/2024-01-17/new-e-pardon-applicat….

The Community Impact Inreach Award is given to an employee who consistently shows compassion and concern for co-workers. The recipient is Clemency Division Executive Assistant Laurie Reid. 

Reid has positively impacted the agency by volunteering, caring, and completing tasks for fellow employees. Reid sees the needs of others both small and large and reaches out to fill them and has served the citizens of Georgia for more than 36 years. Reid exemplifies what is meant by serving others.

The Community Impact Outreach Award is given to the employee who consistently demonstrates compassion and concern for people and their communities. The recipient is Clemency Division GPEDS Team Member Cheryl King.

King has over 35 years of volunteer service. She has worked on projects with Habitat for Humanity, food pantries, Meals on Wheels, and building playgrounds at the Boys and Girls Club of Metro Atlanta. She coordinated an annual bike drive during Christmas providing bicycles to children in underserved communities. She has volunteered with the American Cancer Society for over ten years and helps fundraise to support Breast Cancer Awareness. These are just a few of King’s countless efforts.

The GOAT - “Greatest of All Time” Award is presented to an individual in recognition of decades of hard work, dedication, and leadership. Pardon Admin Assistant Caryl Deems is this year’s GOAT Award Winner. 

From 1987 to her retirement in 2019, Deems’ efforts over the years helped set the foundation of this agency’s success. Her career includes working as a parole officer, chief parole officer, regional director, and deputy director. Deems continues to work part-time for the agency. She is lauded for her extraordinary leadership, selfless dedication, and exemplary work ethic, which significantly contributed to the advancement of the Board.

For more information about the State Board of Pardons and Paroles visit www.pap.georgia.gov or contact Steve Hayes, Director of Communications at 404-657-9450 or [email protected].