Wilcox State Prison Hosts 1st Statewide Lifers and Long-Term Offender Program Graduation

Wilcox State Prison Hosts 1st Statewide Lifers and Long-Term Offender Program Graduation

19 offenders complete 6-month program

FORSYTH, Ga. – On October 13, Wilcox State Prison hosted their first Statewide Lifers and Long-Term Offender Program (Lifers) graduation. There were 19 offenders who completed the six-month program.

“The determination displayed by these men is commendable,” said Commissioner Bryson. “They have taken a big step in their personal development through the completion of this program.”

The Lifers program started in March 2016. It is available to all offenders who were sentenced to life with or without parole, and offenders serving 20 or more years. The curriculum includes instructional information on the following: Who am I, Acceptance of Reality, Benefits of Journaling, Taking Care of My Health, Stress Management, Lessons Learned, Goals After Graduation, and more.  

After graduating from the program and receiving a certificate of completion, offenders have the opportunity to participate in a three-month Support Group program, which will prepare them to go on to mentor other offenders in the Lifers program. Or offenders can choose to continue onto the job readiness phase, where they can take various courses to prepare them for duties within the facility, to include Motivation 4 Change, Moral Reconation Therapy, Horticulture Vocational, Matrix Early Recovery Skills, and Matrix Relapse Prevention.

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.