Turner RSAT Hosts Graduation Ceremony

Turner Residential Substance Abuse Treatment Center Hosts Graduation Ceremony

23 total graduates in multiple programs

FORSYTH, Ga. – On March 2, Turner Residential Substance Abuse Treatment Center (RSAT) hosted a joint graduation ceremony for RSAT, General Education Degree (GED), and On-the-job-training (OJT) certificate recipients.  There were 14 detainees who received their GED, 5 who completed the RSAT program, and 4 who received OJT certificates.

“We are proud of the 23 detainees who participated in these programs,” said Commissioner Gregory C. Dozier. “They have shown their commitment to ensuring they are prepared for returning to their communities as productive, successful citizens.”

The GED program provides educational services to offenders who did not complete their high school education prior to becoming incarcerated. Students must pass tests in four basic subject areas: Mathematics, Language Arts, Science and Social Studies. The tests at Turner RSAT are administered by Georgia Piedmont Technical College.

The nine-month RSAT program promotes recovery from both addiction and crime, by addressing the behavioral challenges of incarcerated individuals with a history of alcohol and drug abuse. The program has four nine-week phases; phase one: orientation; phase two: active phase; phase three: re-entry; and phase four: exit phase.

With on-the-Job training, offenders are able to earn a technical certificate while employed on a work assignment. The graduates received certification in varying fields, including Laundry Worker, Food Preparation, Custodial Maintenance, and Supervisory Aide.

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.

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