Crime victims invited to meet with Georgia Parole Board in Cordele

CORDELE – The State Board of Pardons and Paroles is inviting crime victims to meet with Parole Board members Tuesday in Cordele.

The Victims Visitors’ Day is being coordinated by the Georgia Office of Victim Services with the Cordele Judicial Circuit Victim-Witness Assistance Program and the Office of District Attorney Brad Rigby. It begins at 9:30 a.m. and will take place at Blackshear Place, located at 1001 Blackshear Road.

At the event, victims will be able to discuss the parole status of an offender with a Parole Board member. A victim may share information about a case that he or she wants the board to consider when determining possible parole for the offender.

Parole Board Chairman James Mills said it is important for the board to have all available information before deciding whether to release an offender on parole.

“This is truly one of the most rewarding things we do as board members,” he said, “to meet face-to-face with victims, hear their information, the impact of the crime, and let them know that they’re not being left out of the process.

“We’re able to ensure that the victim understands the parole decision-making process and, as a victim, their place in that process.”

The crime victims who attend will learn about services offered by the Georgia Office of Victim Services and the three agencies that support the office. Personnel from the Department of Corrections and the Department of Community Supervision also will be available to answer questions.

A person not previously registered as a crime victim with the state will be able to register in Cordele. Registration ensures that a victim receives notifications regarding status changes with an offender, including board decisions and possible releases.

Mills said no one asks to be a crime victim.

“They simply want to know what to expect and get their questions answered,” he said. “We try and understand the pain they’ve endured and their losses. We hope that through this event victims will continue the process of becoming restored and become crime survivors.”

Rigby is encouraging victims to participate and register for the event.

“The Cordele Judicial Circuit welcomes the Parole Board to the city of Cordele in efforts to provide information to victims of crime and to receive information from our victims,” the prosecutor said. “I believe that victims all over the South Georgia area will benefit from this event to know and understand their rights and role in the parole process.”

This will be the 28th Victims Visitors’ Day since it began in 2006. The board and the Georgia Office of Victim Services have met with more than 3,300 victims and family members during that period.

Officials say all crime victims are welcome to attend. To schedule a meeting with the Parole Board and receive additional information, crime victims are asked to call the Georgia Office of Victim Services at (404) 651-9701 by Monday. Walk-ins are welcome should a meeting not be prescheduled.

Contact the Office of Communications at (404) 657-9450 or visit www.pap.georgia.gov.