Last Wednesday, I had the honor and pleasure to participate in a ride-along with Officer Daphne of the Georgia Department of Community Supervision.
 Donate Aug 03, 2025Ride-Along: Department Of Community Supervision Last Wednesday, I had the honor and pleasure to participate in a ride-along with Officer Daphne of the Georgia Department of Community Supervision. Our mission for the day was to locate and verify the addresses of four new returning citizens who were recently assigned to the Gwinnett County jurisdiction.  The morning got off to a slow start as we could not locate our first two clients. One address was to a commercial facility, which was wrong, and the second client on the list had recently relocated from the address on record. The next client was home with her daughters and seemed relieved to see us. The client was worried about the status of her transfer from her previous supervising facility, and whether her ankle monitor was charging correctly. Officer Daphne briefly inspected her living quarters, asked if she had any other issues, and informed her about her upcoming appointment. With verification complete, we exited the premises and were off to our final stop. That stop was a home in an upper-middle-class neighborhood with well-manicured lawns. Not the home or neighborhood that many think of for someone under state supervision, as evidenced by the obviously perplexed middle-aged neighbor walking past on her morning stroll as Officer Daphne and I stood on the porch dressed in our khakis and black vest. An older Hispanic woman who greeted us at the door was equally perplexed as she questioned what was going on. Officer Daphne explained who she was and provided the name of the client. He was home, and the lady was his mother. After about 15 minutes of coaxing him out of his bedroom, Officer Daphne completed her tasks of checks and informed the client of a recently missed mental health examination and where he needed to go to meet his requirements. Verification complete, we ended our day with an iced caramel macchiato from Starbucks. Although many think of Officer Daphne as a “PO” or parole officer, in Georgia her title is Community Supervision Officer. Some states have renamed their parole officers to change the perception of these officers having hostile intentions toward the communities they serve. The tables below show the states that have and have not changed the title of their parole officers.  I happened upon this opportunity while researching reentry programs located here in Georgia. Anyone can request a ride-along, provided they can clear all requirements. I signed up because I thought it would be exciting and informative, particularly as I continue pressing forward on starting my reentry program.  I share this experience in somewhat full detail to give insight into the work officers like Daphne does each day. There are over 200,000 individuals under state supervision in Georgia. When a supervision or parole officer does their job well, society gains through lower recidivism and more productive citizens. Let’s not forget the Officer Daphne’s of the world, who works every day, helping to improve individual lives while keeping our communities safe. Next week, we will be off for our staff retreat. Don’t worry; no supervision is required. Look for our next WISER Wednesday, June 22nd. Also, click here to check out Rhonda’s Bloomberg interview last Friday. Take Care, |
