A recent $500,000 federal grant to the Georgia Department of Corrections is being used to catch missing sex offenders in the state.
"The very core of our mission statement is rooted in public safety, and this grant will go a long way in supporting that mission," Corrections Commissioner Brian Owens said in a news release.
Georgia was among 26 states awarded money from an $11.4 million U.S. Justice Department grant, according to the Justice Department's Web site. The grant was given to support partnerships between state or local government agencies to help officials locate, arrest and prosecute child sexual predators, as well as enforce state sex offender registration laws.
Department of Corrections spokeswoman Peggy Chapman said the grant money was used to establish a sex offender apprehension team comprising five probation officers and one intelligence analyst.
FAST FACTS
The Georgia Department of Corrections:
* is the fourth largest prison system in the United States
* supervises nearly 60,000 state prisoners and more than 160,000 probationers
* is the state's largest law enforcement agency, with approximately 14,000 employees
Source: GDOC
The team was begun to help locate and arrest sex offenders who are wanted for violating probation, Ms. Chapman said.
With the help of the U.S. Marshal Southeast Regional Fugitive Task Force and the U.S. Marshal Sex Offender Branch, the team will provide the Department of Correction with a nationwide network of support, she said.
Georgia was among only three agencies that received the entire grant amount of $500,000, Ms. Chapman said.
To be considered to receive a grant, an agency must first be nominated. Ms. Chapman said Richard Mecum, U.S. Marshal for the Northern District of Georgia, nominated the department.
Joy Lukachick covers crime in North Georgia for the Chattanooga Times Free Press. She started working at the paper in July 2009 as an intern. Raised near the Bayou, Joy’s hometown is along the outskirts of Baton Rouge, La. She has a bachelor’s degree in mass communication from Louisiana State University. While at LSU, Joy was a staff writer for the Daily Reveille. When Joy isn't chasing down stories, she is a full-time supporter of ...
Or login with:
New Account