July 26, 2023
Parole Board Member Meg Heap Victim Impact Session
Georgia Parole Board Member Meg Heap and the Georgia Office of Victim Services collaborated with Brad Shealy, the District Attorney (DA) of the Southern Judicial Circuit, along with the DA's Victim-Witness Assistance Program to hold Victim Impact Sessions (VIS). "Ensuring victims' voices are heard is why we hold victim impact sessions. These meetings result in additional case information that the Board Members will consider while making parole decisions. I'm grateful to these victims for their courage to meet and provide their information to the Board. Additionally, we were able to provide them with information about the parole process to ensure they could ask questions and be aware of what to expect," Heap stated. During the sessions, victims express the impact of the crimes. The sessions typically involve victims in which the parole eligible offender is within 12 to 18 months of parole consideration which gives the Board Members timely information from both the victims and the district attorney.
For more information on the services provided by the Georgia Office of Victim Services visit the link below:
https://pap.georgia.gov/georgia-office-victim-services