Project F.A.C.E. Mentor/Mentee Matchp at the Gainesville RYDC DJJ Staff  at:  6/12/2013   PROJECT F.A.C.E. MENTOR/MENTEE MATCHUP AT THE GAINESVILLE RYDC On June 10th, the Gainesville RYDC hosted the Project F.A.C.E. Mentor/Mentee Matchup Day bringing together volunteers from the local community as they get to know and work with individual youth in the juvenile justice system. In what will be the first of many Matchup Days across the state, staff and DJJ leadership including DJJ Commissioner Avery Niles, Deputy Commissioner Sarah Draper, and Assistant Deputy Commissioner Miguel Fernandez participated in the day's activities. Project F.A.C.E., the Department of Juvenile Justice's Faith and Community Engagement program, seeks to create an organizational culture that balances public safety and youth accountability through partnerships that positively support at-risk youth in their communities. Through activities such as tutoring, reading, sports, and the arts, local citizens can make a difference in the lives of individual youth in DJJ facilities by getting to know them, offering support, and by showing them the direction to a productive and fulfilling life. Below are some of the photos from the Gainesville Project F.A.C.E. Mentor/Mentee Matchup Day. Special thanks go out to the Project F.A.C.E. Team of Denise McClain, Carrie T. Hamilton, and Andre' Cheek. To learn more about Project F.A.C.E., visit them online at http://www.djjnewsandviews.org/projectface .   DJJ NEWS DJJ HOME         Metro RYDC Celebrates Fifteen Years of Service DJJ Staff  at:  5/31/2013   METRO RYDC CELEBRATES FIFTEEN YEARS OF SERVICE! On May 31st, the Metro Regional Youth Detention Center (RYDC) held a celebration to commemorate fifteen years of service to the youth of Georgia.  The Metro RYDC is the largest regional youth detention center in Georgia with two hundred beds in the facility.   As part of the commemoration, a sit down breakfast was held for all of the Metro RYDC staff.  Guest speakers at the breakfast included DJJ Assistant Commissioner Mark Sexton, Classification and Transportation Director Lisa Casey-Bryson, and Statewide Security Risk Group Coordinator Monique Brandenburg.  All of the dignitaries were given a tour of the RYDC facility after the staff breakfast.   Warranting special recognition were the eight original staff members still employed at the facility since its opening in 1998.  In addition, the ceremony included a tribute by the facility youth and educational department to the Georgia Preparatory Academy, the renamed school system for the Department of Juvenile Justice.  Officer Ricky Johnson was praised by Assistant Commissioner Sexton for his graduation with honors at the most recent BJCOT (Basic Juvenile Correctional Officers Training) class at the Georgia Public Safety Training Center.   The youth at the Metro RYDC also got to experience the fun of the fifteen year celebration.  A barbeque was served that included hamburgers, hotdogs, popcorn, nachos, and snow cones from a machine. The festival atmosphere was highlighted by activities that included games and inflatables. Congratulations again to the entire Metro Regional Youth Detention Center staff for all of their hard work over the past fifteen years for the youth and citizens of Georgia.   DJJ NEWS DJJ HOME         Supporting the Juvenile Justice Family: DJJ and the National Correctional Peace Officers Foundation DJJ Staff  at:  5/9/2013   SUPPORTING THE JUVENILE JUSTICE FAMILY: DJJ AND THE NATIONAL CORRECTIONAL PEACE OFFICERS FOUNDATION At the Department of Juvenile Justice, the concept of family is important to the overall success of the organization.  DJJ is more than just a job; it is a unified group that works together out of a faith that the goals of juvenile justice are important and worth believing in.  For Commissioner Avery Niles, the strong bonds of the DJJ family at work extend past normal working hours.  If someone who is part of DJJ needs help and support, they will receive it from the entire team, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. It is part of this strong believe in teamwork and family that Commissioner Niles is proud to announce a partnership between the Department of Juvenile Justice and the Correctional Peace Officer Foundation.  The Correctional Peace Officers (CPO) Foundation is a non-profit organization of, by, and for Correctional Officers.  It was created in 1984 and is devoted to sustaining, supporting, and assisting the surviving families of Correctional Officers slain in the line of duty at the hands of incarcerated felons.  The CPO Foundation strives to promote and project a positive image of the Corrections profession and practitioners, both internally and for the general public.  However, the real goal and message of the CPO Foundation is similar to that of DJJ: taking care of our own.  The CPO Foundation helps out corrections officers during all types of catastrophic need.  According to Rose Williams, Georgia Field Representative for the CPO Foundation, the charity exists to assist all those work in the field of corrections, regardless of their need.  She has yet to see a request for help turned down by the national CPO Foundation leadership. To highlight this dedication to support, Ms. Williams recently visited the DJJ Central Office with Gary Evans, CPO Foundation Chaplain, to assit out a juvenile justice employee in need.  Shyra Ashcraft, a JCO I at the Metro RYDC, was presented a check for $500 to help her financially during a recent family crisis. Shyra’s grandmother Margaret Harris, a retired Federal Prisons employee, and her  brother Rod Ashcraft, who is newly enlisted in the military, also attended the presentation. “The CPO Foundation is a great organization,” said DJJ Commissioner Avery Niles.  “Tragedy happens in everyone’s lives and it is what you do for those in need that matters.  When you are in need, every little bit helps to make life better.” The Department of Juvenile Justice is proud to partner with the Correctional Peace Officers Foundation and its nearly 87,000 members nationwide and over 4,000 in Georgia.  For more information on the Correctional Peace Officers Foundation, visit them at http://www.cpof.org .   DJJ NEWS DJJ HOME         DJJ in the Community: Crossroads Second Chance and Bear Creek Middle School DJJ Staff  at:  5/9/2013   DJJ IN THE COMMUNITY: CROSSROADS SECOND CHANCE AND BEAR CREEK MIDDLE SCHOOL On May 3rd, Department of Juvenile Justice leadership including Commissioner Avery Niles and Deputy Commissioners Carl Brown and Sarah Draper met and spoke with students at Crossroads Second Chance School and Bear Creek Middle School in South Fulton. These school speaking engagements are part of an overall Department of Juvenile Justice goal to reach out to youth in communities across Georgia. The theme of each visit was the importance of getting an education and avoiding the trap of dropping out of school, engaging in crime, and being sent to prison. By staying in school, opportunities are created that will last a lifetime, giving those who take them a real and positive future. Commissioner Niles shared with the students the necessity of making good choices in life. In doing so and having goals and a plan for the future, any challenges can be faced and overcome. Youth were encouraged to find good role models to emulate and to help guide them in their individual journeys towards adulthood. While Commissioner Niles addressed the male students, Deputy Commissioner Draper along with Program Coordinator Monique Brandenburg spoke to the female students with a similiar message of hope and promise. Ms. Brandenburg also spent time during her presentation discussing the dangers of gang involvement in our schools and neighborhoods. Following each presentation, students from both Crossroads and Bear Creek asked questions and learned more the particulars of the juvenile justice system. Through the back and forth session, the youth were able to get a good sense of the consequences of their actions, both good and bad, and understand why it is much better to "miss out" on experiencing Georgia's correctional system firsthand.     DJJ NEWS DJJ HOME         Employee Recognition Week Message from DJJ Commissioner Avery Niles DJJ Staff  at:  5/9/2013   EMPLOYEE RECOGNITION WEEK MESSAGE FROM DJJ COMMISSIONER AVERY NILES To all employees of the Department of Juvenile Justice, and the contractors that work at our side, thank you for the great work that you do as representatives of the Great State of Georgia.  Your hard work and dedication is the key to success of our organization.  I consider this week to be very special because it is Employee Recognition Week.  This week also includes special recognition days for Educators, Nurses, and Correctional Officers. This Department successfully operates 28 Secure Facilities and over 90 Court Service Offices around the state.  We have approximately 1,900 youth in those Facilities and around 15,000 under supervision with our Community Services.  We would not be able to provide the level of security to the residents of Georgia and the level of service to the youth that are in our care without your dedication and professionalism.  The success of this Department is not simply based on having well planned, well organized, functional facilities and equipment.  It is not based on the fact that we have an excellent Information Technology System in place with modernized hardware.  It is not based on the fact that we have well stocked medical clinics and kitchen equipment.  This Department’s success is determined by the hard work and dedication of this staff to doing the job to the best of your ability every day when you come to work.  Your positive attitudes and your spirit of accomplishment are what set this agency above others.  These attributes are critical to maintaining your sense of accomplishment as we go through the daily process of securing, educating, and developing the youth that are in our care. This is hard work that you have chosen to be a part of.  I want to take this opportunity to personally thank each and every one of you for the dedication that you show to our State, to the youth, to each other, and to the Department of Juvenile Justice.  As I have visited our various locations, I marvel at the pride and enthusiasm you exhibited.  I have seen your responses to our recent Employee Satisfaction Survey and in it, you were very vocal about your pride in working for DJJ and your sincere desire to make a difference in the lives of the youth we serve. This Employee Recognition Week is a special time to acknowledge the accomplishments that all of you have achieved during the course of the past year.  Thank you again for your service and your dedication. I am proud to be a member of your team and to have the privilege of leading you as we move forward in implementing the Juvenile Justice Reform Act that was signed by Governor Deal last week.  His leadership and vision have charted a path for how we will make adjustments as we move ahead.  Again, thank you for your dedicated service and we look forward to a bright future for you and DJJ.   Sincerely, Commissioner Avery Niles   DJJ NEWS DJJ HOME    First Page   Prev. Page   Next Page   Last Page

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