ATLANTA - More than 200 crime victims turned out today to meet with parole staff including Parole Board Members at Victims Visitors’ Day in Milledgeville. At the start of the day, nearly 250 victims had signed up to speak with the Board.

“The greater part of our state agency has been temporarily relocated to Milledgeville in the effort to focus our agency’s attention toward victims of crime, on this day,” stated Terry Barnard, the Chairman of the State Board of Pardons and Paroles.

Barnard spoke during the morning’s opening ceremony and said it is important to hold the Victims Visitors’ Days in the communities, where the victims of crime live.

“We want to make these events convenient to you, the victims and to the family members of the victims. It’s events like this today that give you, the victims and the families of victims, a powerful voice in the criminal justice process,” added Barnard.

The Victims Visitors’ Day in Milledgeville was held by the Parole Board in conjunction with the Georgia Office of Victim Services and the Ocmulgee Judicial Circuit Victim-Witness Assistance Program. Ocmulgee District Attorney Stephen Bradley invited the Board to Milledgeville.

Chairman Barnard says the Parole Board and prosecutors share in their support for the crime victim.

“We share a support for victims and for their rights. We work together to ensure that victims have input in the criminal justice process,” he said.

District Attorney Stephen Bradley said today was about celebrating victims.

“We’re proud of everything you (victims) have overcome and we’re proud of you surviving,” said Bradley.

Bradley says the goal is to tend to the victim and to remember the victim’s struggle so that we reduce the number of victims.

Several victims spoke during the opening ceremony about forgiveness and healing including Ashley Moore of Atlanta. Moore says through faith, family, friends and forgiveness, victims can find peace and healing.

Following the opening ceremony, the Parole Board’s five voting members conducted individual meetings with the crime victims.

Victims not previously registered with the Georgia Office of Victim Services were able to register at today’s event.  By registering, crime victims can receive notification of the offender’s parole status and if parole eligible, notification is given if the Board is considering a parole release. Chairman Barnard says the Board has directed the Georgia Office of Victim Services to locate victims who have not registered with the state.

The Georgia Office of Victim Services serves registered crime victims whose offender is a state inmate or who is under parole or probation supervision. Representatives from the Department of Corrections and the Department of Community Supervision were present to speak with victims regarding questions about an inmate’s incarceration or their community supervision, whether on parole or probation.

Today’s Victims Visitors’ Day was the 26th since 2006. More than 3,000 victims including family members have met with the Board during these events. Today’s Victims Visitors’ Day was held at the Central Georgia Technical College in Milledgeville.

For more information about services for crime victims please call 404-651-9701 or 1-800-593-9474.

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.

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