Featured Workshops

Inside-Out Prison Exchange Program Workshop

This session will highlight a unique educational partnership between the University of Georgia and the Clarke County Jail and discuss the challenges, possibilities, and dynamics of offering such classes in correctional facilities. The Inside-Out Prison Exchange Program is a course that brings together campus-based college students and currently incarcerated people to exchange ideas and perceptions about crime and justice, the criminal justice system, and imprisonment over an eight-week period. Through facilitated dialogue and active learning, the program creates a powerful and transformative learning environment for all participants, generating new skills, creating collaborative solutions, and inspiring personal and community change. Since spring 2017, 94 UGA students and 57 Clarke County Jail students have successfully completed the Inside-Out program through the UGA Sociology Department - Clarke County Sheriff's Office partnership facilitated by Dr. Sarah Shannon. Inside-Out classes have been taught at over 350 colleges and universities nationwide and in several other countries since 1997. More than 60,000 students have taken Inside-Out courses hosted by over 200 correctional institutions, including county jails, state prisons, federal prisons, juvenile facilities, and community correctional facilities at all security levels. Join this session to learn more about this powerful educational program!

Workshop Speaker
Full Name
Dr. Sarah Shannon
Job Title
Director of the Criminal Justice Studies Program and Meigs Distinguished Professor of Sociology
Company
University of Georgia
Speaker Bio
Dr. Sarah Shannon is the Director of the Criminal Justice Studies Program and Meigs Distinguished Professor of Sociology at the University of Georgia. She is an award-winning teacher and accomplished scholar with a passion for connecting students and her research to the real-world problems facing our criminal justice system. Her interdisciplinary research has been published in top journals in several fields including sociology, criminology, public health, social work, and geography. She proudly facilitates UGA's first-ever Inside-Out Prison Exchange Program course in partnership with the Clarke County Jail.

     

Self-care for the First Responder Workshop

Burnout, compassion fatigue, and vicarious trauma are prevalent in the service professions. Therefore, as first responders continue to encounter the personal difficulties of the countless individuals that they are duty-bound to protect and serve daily, coupled with their own day-to-day needs, self-care becomes an imperative. First responders must monitor their emotional health and practice wellness to ensure optimal professional effectiveness. This session will highlight the need for first responders to learn about and implement best practices related to self-care.

Workshop Speaker
Full Name
Dr. Tonia Willis
Job Title
A.S.P.I.R.E Program Director, Wellness Counselor
Company
Oglethorpe County School District
Speaker Bio
Dr. Tonia Willis has been working in the field of education for over 25 years. She is a former classroom teacher and school counselor. She is currently a wellness counselor for students at the Oglethorpe County school District and is the program director for the 21st Century Community Learning Centers: A.S.P.I.R.E. program. Her credentials include a B.S. in Early Childhood Education, a MA in Psychology with a Counseling Specialty, and an Ed.D. in Counseling Psychology. Dr. Willis is a Georgia licensed professional counselor with experience working with clients dealing with such issues as stress and anxiety, anger, grief, self-esteem, and a variety of other social and emotional issues. Dr. Willis loves having the opportunity to work with her clients to help them realize and become the best versions of themselves by listening, providing support, and providing a safe, non-judgmental space for them to explore their thoughts and feelings.

Establishing and Maintaining a Culture of Prevention

Law enforcement officers on all levels need specific de-escalation training to enhance their ability to differentiate between appropriate use of force and verbally defusing situations. It is of utmost importance that law enforcement officers, mental health providers, hospital staff, and educators understand that their immediate response to volatile situations will lead to either conversations or confrontation with individuals. The MindSet Safety Management Curriculum is ideal to raise awareness and facilitate insight relative to de-escalation and crisis management.

Workshop Speaker
Full Name
Hunter Whitlock
Job Title
Ret. Lt. Deputy Sheriff
Speaker Bio
After a successful twenty-year career in law enforcement Hunter was able to retire as a Lieutenant Deputy Sheriff in 2020. During his years in the field it became apparent that assisting individuals in the community shifted from mandating compliance due to violations of the code to mitigating mental health situations on many occasions. He was fortunate enough to have specific training in mental health awareness, crisis management, and hospital security.

Force Multipliers: Intelligence Analysts & Digital Forensic Investigators

As policework increasingly relies on intelligence gathered from online platforms and digital forensics, non-sworn investigative support plays a critical role. Criminal Intelligence Analysts (CIAs) and Digital Forensic Investigators (DFIs) pursue unique investigative leads and trends behind the scenes of front-line investigators. Their work product and knowledge provide a foundation for their respective agency’s operational mission. This session will highlight how non-sworn investigative personnel, specifically Analysts and DFIs, are involved in GBI casework and respond to requests for assistance from other agencies. Presenters will review best practices and lessons learned for how GBI has coordinated non-sworn investigative support (whether remote or in-person) in light of conflicting demands or scant resources. Furthering the collective effort and cooperation required of both sworn and civilian personnel to achieve results and solve cases is at the heart of this session.

Workshop Speakers
Full Name
Meredith Bailey
Job Title
Supervisory Criminal Intelligence Analyst
Company
Georgia Bureau of Investigation
Speaker Bio
Meredith Bailey is a Supervisory Criminal Intelligence Analyst with the Georgia Bureau of Investigation assigned to GISAC, the Georgia Fusion Center, for the past 13 years. She has her Bachelor’s and Master’s Degrees in Criminal Justice from Georgia State University. As a field analyst, her primary assignments included support to counterterrorism efforts, internet crimes against children, and human trafficking. While she now supervises a team of analysts, Meredith still oversees a variety of GISAC’s special projects, research, and report-based initiatives.
Full Name
Lisa Arnold
Job Title
Digital Forensic Program Manager
Company
Georgia Bureau of Investigation
Speaker Bio
Lisa Arnold is the Digital Forensic Program Manager bio with the Georgia Bureau of Investigation, assigned to the Child Exploitation and Computer Crimes Unit, for the past 10 years. She has a Bachelor’s Degree in Criminology and Criminal Justice and is currently earning a Master’s Degree in Public Safety Administration. As a Digital Forensic Investigator, her primary assignments included performing digital forensics in both field and lab environments, in the furtherance of child exploitation and other criminal investigations. In her supervisory role, Lisa oversees the management of both digital forensic labs, statewide evidence and case submissions, and technology enhancement projects for the GBI.