GDC – Atlanta Transitional Center

There are 13 Transitional Centers in operation statewide, two of which are designated to house female offenders. A total of 2,674 transitional beds are available, of which 346 are designated for female offenders. To have the opportunity to transfer to a Transitional Center, an offender must receive a referral from either the Board of Pardons of Paroles or the Classification Committee within a state prison. The decision about which offenders are selected is based on criminal history, behavior while incarcerated, release date, and a number of other factors.

One function of Transitional Centers is to provide "work release", allowing the offender to obtain and maintain a paying job in the community while requiring him or her to conform to the structure of the program. The offender lives in the center, participates in a number of programs, and completes assignments to contribute to the upkeep of the center. The wages earned by work release offenders are sent directly to the center.

Employers are required to deduct taxes as appropriate. A portion of the wages is applied to room and board and another portion to any outstanding fines or fees. If the offender has minor children, he or she is required to provide family support for them. The offender may have a small allowance for transportation and incidentals, but all other funds are placed in an account until he or she is released from the center. Most offenders stay in a work release program for approximately six months and are then released on parole. Those who are not eligible for parole will be released when the entirety of their sentence has been fulfilled.

Transitional Centers also provide housing for low risk maintenance workers. These residents are not participants in the work release program although they may have access to the other programs in the centers. The maintenance residents are assigned full-time to maintain the facility or other state facilities in the area. For example, approximately half of the residents assigned to the Atlanta Transitional Center are maintenance workers who provide details to the Governor's Mansion, the State Capitol Complex, and the State Highway Patrol Headquarters. These residents are not paid any wages. They may stay at the facility for longer periods of time than work release residents.

The daily cost to house an offender in a Transitional Center is off-set by the offender's contribution to their room and board provided by the state. In addition, offenders on work release contribute to the local tax base and to their families' support.

Atlanta Transitional Center has a dual mission. First, prepare adult male felons who are nearing the end of their incarceration to assume responsible citizenship. Second, maintain an OJT workforce of felons who have up to forty-two months left on their sentence to operate outside details for various state agencies at no cost to taxpayers. Atlanta Transitional Center is the host facility for the Metro Complex.

HOUSING – Two five-story buildings with resident housing on three floors in each building which consists of rooms that sleep from 2-6.

WORK DETAILS – We provide nine OJT details located at various state agencies in Custodial Maintenance, Food Service, Building Maintenance, Auto Repair/Maintenance, Landscaping and Laundry Services.

PROGRAMS:

• Counseling: Family Violence, Reentry, Job Readiness, Matrix, Basics World Of Work, Alcoholics Anonymous/Narcotics Anonymous, Motivation For Change and Detour
• Recreation: General Recreation, Yard Call, Wellness Walk
• Religious Activities: Various Worship Services, Bible Study, Muslim Services & Prayers
• Vocational/OJT: Custodial Maintenance, Food Service, Building Maintenance, Auto Repair/Maintenance, Landscaping, Laundry Services.