More than 100 at Georgia prison receive diplomas, certificates

FORSYTH — A total of 126 offenders participated in a recent graduation ceremony held at Smith State Prison. Georgia Department of Corrections Commissioner Gregory C. Dozier served as guest speaker at the ceremony, where 102 General Equivalency Diploma (GED) graduates, and 24 vocational program graduates were present. Smith State Prison has had the most GED completions for Georgia’s close security facilities for the third year in a row.

“Our goal is to give offenders the opportunity to change their lives and go back into their communities better equipped for success,” Dozier said. “It is up to them to choose to take advantage of all the opportunities in front of them, and I was happy to see so many of them doing just that at Smith SP.”

Graduates who were present for the vocational programs ceremony received certificates for programs such as horticulture and computer repair/certification. The horticulture classes focus on garden cultivation and management, while the computer repair/certification class prepares offenders for the CompTIA (Computer Technology Industry Association) certification exam.

Speaking to his classmates, one of the graduates said, “By the time we reach this point, we are broken in mind and spirit. Today, I seek power in instruction and education. We need to build on the environment we have and be mindful of our conduct. Education is the true foundation of our nation.”

Representatives from the Georgia Board of Pardons and Paroles also spoke at the graduation, and granted parole release to one of the GED graduates, Aaron Daniel Baker.

The GDC has one of the largest prison systems in the U.S. and is responsible for supervising nearly 52,000 state prisoners. It is the largest law enforcement agency in the state with approximately 10,500 employees.