Atlanta, GA - Seventeen (17) new parole officers were among the twenty-six (26) graduates at today’s Basic Probation/Parole Officer Training Course (BPPOTC) graduation ceremony. The Graduation was held at the Georgia Public Safety Training Center (GPSTC) Auditorium in Forsyth.

The new parole officers will be working in Atlanta, Augusta, Columbus, Cordele, Jefferson, Jesup, Jonesboro, LaFayette, Lyons, Macon and Monroe. Nine graduates will work for the Department of Corrections as probation officers.

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.).

Implemented in 2012, through a joint agreement between the Parole Board and the Department of Corrections, the dual officer certification eliminates the need for separate agency training courses. Officers are trained to perform parole and probation supervision however the officers will only supervise offenders under their respective agency’s authority. The joint training eliminates the need for an agency specific training course. The end result is a better trained community supervision officer.

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

The Parole Board employs approximately 300 officers. The average parole caseload of offenders is 84.

For more information on the Parole Board please visit our website at www.pap.georgia.gov.

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