Walker State Prison Hosts Faith and Character Graduation

Walker State Prison Hosts Faith and Character Graduation

29 Graduates Honored

FORSYTH, Ga. — Walker State Prison (SP) held a graduation January 18, 2019 for 29 offenders who successfully completed the Faith and Character Based Program. Friends and family of the participants gathered at the facility to witness the occasion, and Tom McElhenney, the director of transitional services for the Georgia Department of Corrections (GDC), served as the keynote speaker. The program is a two-year curriculum of personal and spiritual growth that requires offenders to complete four six-month phases: foundation, discovery, transformation and transition.

“By completing this program, these offenders have taken an invaluable step towards ensuring they are prepared when they return to society,” said Timothy C. Ward, the interim commissioner of  GDC. “Walker SP is our model faith and character-based prison and serves as an example of our commitment toward creating positive change in the offenders’ lives.”

As the first and only faith and character-based prison within GDC, Walker SP provides an atmosphere for offenders to develop interpersonal communication skills, understand diversity and partake in the rehabilitative process. By providing an environment for positive change through the promotion of personal accountability, responsibility, integrity and the building of one’s faith and character, the program increases awareness of reentry needs for offenders.

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About the Georgia Department of Corrections (GDC)

The Georgia Department of Corrections (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 478-992-5247 or visit http://www.gdc.ga.gov