New Deputy Director of the Office of Professional Standards

New Deputy Director of the Office of Professional Standards

John Richey Promoted

FORSYTH, Ga. – Georgia Department of Corrections (GDC) Commissioner Gregory C. Dozier announced the promotion of John Richey to Deputy Director of the Office of Professional Standards (OPS), effective September 1, 2017. As Deputy Director, Richey will be responsible for assisting the Director with overseeing the Criminal Investigations, Internal Affairs, Fugitive, and Audits and Compliance Units.  

“Richey possesses 32 years of extensive experience in law enforcement and investigations,” said Commissioner Dozier. “We are confident he will offer great leadership and guidance as Deputy Director.”

Richey began his law enforcement career with the East Point Police Department in 1985, where he worked as a Patrol Officer, Training Officer, Narcotics Agent, and served on the SWAT Team. In 1991, he was hired as Senior Investigator with the Fulton County District Attorney’s Office in the Major Case and Homicide Units. In 2005, Richey became the Chief Investigator with the DeKalb County District Attorney’s Office, where he oversaw all criminal investigations. In 2015, Richey became a Captain at the DeKalb County Sheriff’s Office where he was in charge of their Fugitive and Warrant Divisions, as well as their Domestic Violence Unit and Sex Offender Registration Unit. Richey came to the Georgia Department of Corrections in 2016 as the Inspector over the OPS Criminal Investigations Division, where he currently serves.

Richey earned a Bachelor’s degree in Criminal Justice at Georgia State University in 1988 and a Master’s degree in Public Administration from Columbus State University in 2011.

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.

For more information on the GDC call 478-992-5248 or visit http://www.gdc.ga.gov.