ATLANTA – Ten new state parole officers graduated the Basic Probation/Parole Officer Training Course (BPPOTC) today in Forsyth. The graduation ceremony was held at the Georgia Public Safety Training Center (GPSTC) in Forsyth.

The BPPOTC is an eight week training course resulting in all new officers being certified as Probation/Parole Officers by the Georgia Peace Officer Standards and Training Council (P.O.S.T.).

Parole Board Chairman Terry Barnard delivered keynote remarks to the graduating class. Barnard told the graduates that they will be more than a parole officer to the offenders under their supervision.

“You will find yourself holding a very unique law enforcement position. Not only will you have the responsibility to protect the greater public, you will find yourself providing for your parolee's counseling, advice and discipline. You will be the only hope for some of these individuals to chart a path to success,” stated Barnard. 

“Your caseload will consist of individuals with pasts of a few months in prison to others with more than 30 years in prison. Some will want to change; some will not. Will you help them? That is the great calling.”


Barnard said the Board has every confidence the officers will work to successfully transition offenders back into the community.

The BPPOTC includes supervision techniques, investigation procedures, intervention strategies, Georgia law, policy and procedure, interview skills, physical fitness, arrest procedures, defensive tactics, computer interaction and firearms qualification.

The new officers will be working in the following locations: Dalton, DeKalb, Douglasville, Gainesville, Griffin, LaFayette, Macon and Savannah.

The Parole Board employs approximately 335 officers, including chief parole officers and assistant chief parole officers. The average parole caseload of offenders is 88.

For more information please contact Steve Hayes, Chief Public Information Officer, Office of Communications, at 404-657-9450 or [email protected] or visit our website at www.pap.georgia.gov.

###