ATLANTA - The American Probation and Parole Association (APPA) has concluded a four-day training conference in Atlanta.

The APPA 2026 Winter Training Institute involved parole, probation and supervision professionals attending sessions on best practices regarding topics to include reentry services, drug treatment, juvenile offender supervision, victim services, leadership, and AI, among many others.

A highlight was an opening panel discussion titled, “Real Talk on Success and Failure in Community Supervision.” Georgia Parole Board Chair Joyette Holmes was among probation and parole professionals on the panel along with officials from Illinois, Texas, Indiana, California, Massachusetts, and South Carolina.

"I was proud to serve with these professionals from across the country. We had real and candid conversations regarding opportunities for our teams to improve and foster greater success in supervision outcomes," Holmes said.

Another highlight was the addition this year of the “Comfort Dog Meet and Greet.” Attendees had opportunities to hang out with canines, “Asher” and “Bohdi.” Asher is the nation's first Parole Board Comfort Dog, introduced by the Georgia Parole Board.

During the conference, two leaders from the Georgia Board of Pardons and Paroles graduated from APPA's Leadership Institute. LaQuannta Flowers is a manager in the agency's Pre-Release Considerations Division and Tabetha Rand is a District Operations Manager (DOM), in the Post-Release Considerations Division.

"Investing in our people is one of the most important things we do as an agency. We are intentional about creating opportunities for our staff to grow professionally and prepare for greater responsibility and leadership. The APPA Leadership Institute provides an outstanding challenging curriculum for participants,” said Chris Barnett, Executive Director of the Georgia Board of Pardons and Paroles.

The Georgia Board of Pardons and Paroles served as a member of the conference host committee along with the Georgia Department of Corrections, the Georgia Department of Community Supervision, and the Georgia Department of Juvenile Justice.

For more information contact [email protected].