SPECIAL DEPARTMENT OF CORRECTIONS OPERATIONS MISSION The Georgia Department of Corrections (GDC) Special Operations The Georgia Department of Corrections protects oversees internal processes that support the Facilities Division’s the public by operating safe and secure facilities primary task of supervising offenders. Special Operations is through the development of professional staff and comprised of the following specialized units: 25 Tactical Squads (TAC) effective offender management. to include three Regional Interdiction Response Teams (IRT), and 28 Correctional Emergency Response Teams (CERT). In addition, GDC Timothy C. Ward, Commissioner is part of the state’s overall law enforcement and criminal justice Ahmed Holt, Assistant Commissioner Facilities Division system.

CORRECTIONAL EMERGENCY RESPONSE TEAM (CERT) MISSION To maintain well-trained and highly motivated units, ready to mobilize upon command and move quickly to restore law and order within facilities and assist all departmental staff with daily organization and operations of facilities.

OVERVIEW TRAINING • 28 CERT teams across the state Special Operations Basic Course • Traditional team has five members (team leader or sergeant • 40-hour training course and four correctional officers) • Classes administered: • Team size may be increased at Level V (close) facilities • Defensive Tactics • Gray battle dress uniforms with untraditional patches • Chemical Agents and Less Lethal Munitions • Receives advanced training in cell extractions, chemical • Drill and Ceremony munitions, less lethal escorts and transports, offender • Squad Formations • Mobile Field Force searches, interview and interrogation techniques, intelligence • Cell Extractions gathering, and security threat groups (STG) • Intelligence Gathering • Conducts shakedowns- An unannounced procedure • Successfully qualifies yearly with the agencies preferred duty conducted to detect and prevent the introduction of weapon (Glock 19) contraband, prevent escapes and other disturbances and Advanced Firearms Training Course discover hazards to health or safety that may go unnoticed • Successfully complete advanced firearms tactics and safely during a routine inspection maneuver through advanced firearm drills with weapon (Glock 19) • On-call 24/7 LOCATIONS OF TEAMS

INFORMATIONAL HIGHLIGHTS INFORMATIONAL • Augusta State Medical Prison • REQUIREMENTS • Autry State Prison • Lee State Prison • POST certified employee (security) with the rank of • • Lee correctional officer (CO) • Burruss Correctional Training • • Must successfully complete the Special Operations Physical Center • Fitness Test (push-ups and sit-ups for a duration of two • • minutes and a 1.5 mile run) with a minimum score of 60 • • percent according to the Army Physical Fitness Testing • • Rutledge State Prison standards • • • Successfully qualify with their duty weapon with a minimum • • score of 80 percent on the Georgia Double Action Course • Georgia Diagnostic and • • Endure a formal review board Classification Prison (2 Teams) • • Members must maintain physical fitness and firearms • • standards • • • Attend certificate training sessions •

CONNECT WITH US! INFORMATIONAL HIGHLIGHTS REQUIREMENTS LOCATIONS OFTEAMS OVERVIEW TACTICAL SQUADS CONNECT WITH US! • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • facilities andassist outside law enforcement. To maintain well trained andhighly motivated units, ready to mobilize upon command andmove quickly to restore law andorder to disturbed MISSION Interdiction response Teams are CO IIonly Attend certificate trainingsessions standards Members must maintain physical fitnessandfirearms Endure a formal review board score of80percent on the Georgia Double Action Course Successfully withtheirdutyweapon withaminimum qualify standards percent according to theArmy Physical FitnessTesting minutes anda1.5milerun)withminimumscore of60 Fitness Test (push-ups andsit-ups for aduration oftwo Must successfully complete theSpecialOperations Physical lieutenant POST certifiedemployee (security)who ranks from COI to On-call 24/7 tornadoes, hurricanes and floods Assists inlocal community duringdisasters suchas Conducts shakedowns personnel inplaceto carry outthehighlydifficult tasks Highly scrutinized to guarantee they have theproper munitions firearms, chemical munitionsandotherlessthan lethal Receives extensive training onriotandcrowd control, Black battle dress uniform withuntraditional patches Georgia SPhas17members) 11 members (IRT and Hays State Prison (SP)has18 members; squads (interdiction response teams-IRT) Three regional (southeast, southwest andnorth)tactical 22 basedat facilities 25 squads Johnson State Prison combined withWalker SP) one tactical squadof18 Hays State Prison(houses Hancock State Prison Central andBurrussCTC) combined withMetro, (houses two tactical squads Classification Prison Georgia Diagnostic and Dooly State Prison Dodge State Prison Coastal State Prison Baldwin State Prison StateAutry Prison Prison Augusta State Medical

• • • • • • • • • • • • • Wilcox State Prison Washington State Prison Ware State Prison Valdosta State Prison Telfair State Prison Smith State Prison Team (Regional) SW Interdiction Response Team (Regional) SE Interdiction Response Rutledge State Prison Phillips State Prison Team (Regional) North Interdiction Response Macon State Prison SP) (combined/housed at Lee Lee/Calhoun State Prison

maneuver through advanced firearm drills weapon (Glock 19) Successfully completes advanced firearms tactics and safely Advanced Firearms Training Special Operations BasicCourse TRAINING Smith SP, Telfair SP, Valdosta SP, andWare SP. Unit, Georgia SP, Hancock SP, Hays SP, Macon SP, Phillips SP, Georgia Diagnostic andClassification SP,SpecialManagement State Prison(SP),CalhounSP, Central SP, Coastal SP, DoolySP, This contraband was seized from seven prisonsto include Autry facilities. Theitems seized are as follows: conducted ashakedown orquickstrike shakedown at 16 its facilities across the state ofGeorgia. In2020,theagency implemented andbolstered interdiction methods within contraband, theGeorgia Department ofCorrections Determined to eradicate thestate’s prisonsystem of Statewide Shakedown Initiative Judgmental UseofDeadlyForce • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • Advanced firearms course Classes administered: Physical anddemandingtraining 40-hour basiccourse 240.49 grams ofmeth 112.5 ouncesofalcohol 3,533.3 grams oftobacco 1,163.1 grams ofmarijuana 3,119 homemadeweapons 447 cellphones Teaches judgment inshoot/don’tshootsituations Advanced firearms course Intelligence Gathering Cell Extractions Mobile FieldForce Squad Formations Drill andCeremony Chemical Agents and LessLethal Munitions Defensive Tactics