Stroop named Chaplain of the Year Walker State Prison’s chaplain since 2012
The Georgia Department of Corrections honored Jeremy Stroop from Walker State Prison as Chaplain of the Year at the 13th Annual GDC Awards ceremony on Aug. 8 at GDC headquarters in Forsyth..
“Jeremy works with a sense of excellence in everything that he does, and is an essential member of the Walker Faith and Character Based Prison team,” Asst. Commissioner Jay Sanders said. “We thank him for his dedication to the Faith and Character Based program, and his tireless efforts to see both offenders and staff members grow and succeed.”
This augural award is presented to a full-time Chaplain who exhibits extraordinary effort in providing and managing pastoral care for offenders and staff, contributes professional leadership by facilitating worship, education and counseling opportunities, provides timely spiritual direction and support during crisis events, supports the mission and vision of GDC and Criminal Justice Reform initiatives, coordinates effective community volunteer efforts, and assists inmates in their reentry efforts.
Stroop has been a highly regarded and valued employee of Walker State Prison since 2012.
A veteran of the United States Army, Jeremy exemplifies working with fervor in his calling. Stroop teaches GDC classes, and serves as the North Region Volunteer Certification teacher. He teaches a parenting class at his church and also preaches at other local churches. He participates in outreach with his staff and his community by providing guidance on issues in their lives, and attends outside organization functions to show his support for their individual missions. He works tirelessly to educate the public about the Faith and Character Based program, and acts as an accountability partner for some of the released inmates from the facility.
Several key officials were on hand for the ceremony, which was attended by more than 250 guests. Making the award presentation with Commissioner Greg Dozier were State Senator Tyler Harper, Board of Corrections member Christopher Clark, Chief of Staff Timothy C. Ward, Assistant Commissioners Ricky Myrick, Scott Poitevint, Jay Sanders, Randy Sauls, and Director of Professional Development Terry Edge and Director of Professional Standards Clay Nix.
The GDC has one of the largest prison systems in the U.S. and is responsible for supervising nearly 52,000 state prisoners. It is the largest law enforcement agency in the state with approximately 10,500 employees.