Chaplaincy Services

Mission 

To provide and facilitate access to pastoral care for inmates and staff as appropriate in order to promote and establish a community of peace, hope, safety, and mutual respect, and ensure offenders first amendment religious rights.

Vision 

Chaplaincy Services supports the mission and vision of the Georgia Department of Corrections (GDC) through highly professional leadership providing pastoral care to inmates and staff, facilitating worship, education, counseling, spiritual direction, support, and crisis intervention by working on an individual and corporate basis to promote and establish:

A Community of:

• Peace and Hope
• Community of Safety
• Community of Mutual Respect
• Community of Respect for property of others
• Community of Responsible and Law Abiding Citizens prepared for Reentry

What specific services does the Chaplaincy unit provide?

• Coordinate and provide worship services for a multi-religious and culturally diverse group
• Provide pastoral counseling to inmates and staff
• Provide crisis intervention counseling
• Facilitate religious instruction among various faith groups
• Coordinate and facilitate behavioral change groups
• Provide consultation and training regarding religious needs of inmates
• Chaplaincy staff recruits, trains and coordinates our vast number of community volunteers
• Assist inmates in their reentry effort by matching the inmate with the community service providers
• Provide support to correctional staff and their family members

New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary (NOBTS) Inmate College Program
NOBTS was established in 2006 at Phillips Sate Prison. NOBTS programming provides our offenders the opportunity to obtain a Bachelor of Arts (B.A.) degree in Christian Ministry. It also provides our offenders with peaceful communities, reduction of violence, ministry, assistance in reentry preparation, and reduction in recidivism.

This program is offered in a four-year cycle and has up to 30 offenders per class. Offenders must have proof of a high school diploma, GED or college courses, must have a minimum of five years left to serve, must not have any disciplinary reports for 12 months, recommendation by staff and must voluntarily participate.

Truett-McConnell University assumed leadership and sponsorship of the program beginning with the 2020 academic year. 

NOBTS/Leavell College offers select students at the Whitworth Women’s Facility the opportunity to achieve fully accredited Bachelor of Arts degrees in Christian Ministry.  The same requirements and benefits of the program at Phillips State Prison are included at Whitworth Women’s Facility.  The first graduation took place in May of 2021.

Volunteer Services

GDC is committed to providing resources to our offender population in an effort to prepare them for the transition from custody to the community. Volunteer Services incorporates faith-based organization, community stakeholders, concerned citizens, civic organizations and business partnerships that support services presently offered and others not provided by traditional agency programming. Volunteer Services raises the conscious awareness of the community by involving their talents, resources, and their inherent connection to the offender and community. Involvement sends the message to the offender that the community has a vested interest in their success.

Volunteer Services has trained and retained over 9,200 volunteers to assist the offenders and returning citizens inside and outside correctional facilities statewide.

Mission:

• To help reduce recidivism by involving community stakeholders
• To mobilize (identify, recruit, train, and monitor) resource persons and groups from the community in order to provide services and mentoring for the habilitation or rehabilitation of offenders
• To participate in correctional programs, which support the offender's successful transition from custody to community

For more information, please contact:

Dr. A. Steven Turner
Phone Number: 478/992-5908
Steven.Turner@gdc.ga.gov
P.O. Box 1529
Forsyth, GA 31029