Governor Brian P. Kemp today announced his selection of various agency and state office leaders that will take effect in the coming year. Tyrone Oliver will become Georgia Department of Corrections Commissioner, effective January 1.
“I am grateful that Tyrone Oliver will further his innovative approach and dedication to protecting Georgians at the Department of Corrections. His many years of law enforcement experience on both the local and state levels will serve the agency, those housed in our prison system, and our communities well. I look forward to the impact he will have in this new leadership role.” Stated Governor Kemp.
Tyrone Oliver currently serves as Commissioner of the Georgia Department of Juvenile Justice (DJJ) and oversees the daily operation of the multi-faceted agency that holds justice-involved youth accountable through probation supervision and secure detention. Governor Kemp appointed him to this role in 2019.
Commissioner Oliver began his law enforcement career in 1999 as a Detention Officer with the Newton County Sheriff’s Office. He served in multiple leadership positions in his career before being named Chief of Police for the City of Social Circle. In 2018, he became Deputy City Manager.
Under Commissioner Oliver’s current leadership at Department of Juvenile Justice, the agency has focused on restoring youth inside and outside of detention through social programs, education, credible messenger mentorship, and wraparound services. This community-focused approach has increased educational opportunities and job placement for youth throughout Georgia, decreasing gang affiliation and increasing successful reentry. The Department’s F.R.E.S.H. Start Youth Initiative, which has received national attention, is becoming a model approach for successfully partnering with companies, community leaders, and institutes of higher learning to provide employment, training, and scholarship funding for justice-involved youth.
In November 2022, Commissioner Oliver was elected Vice President of the American Correctional Association (ACA), the nation’s oldest accrediting body for the corrections industry. In 2022, he was elected Vice President of the Board of Directors of the Council of Juvenile Justice Administrators. He also serves on the Board of Peace Officers Annuity and Benefit Fund, the State Workforce Development Board, and the executive committees for the Criminal Justice Coordinating Council and the Department of Community Supervision.
Commissioner Oliver is a graduate of Columbus State University’s Law Enforcement Professional Management Program. He also completed Leadership Newton County and Walton County, the Federal Bureau of Investigations Law Enforcement Executive Development Program, the Leadership Trilogy Program, and the Georgia International Law Enforcement Exchange to Israel.
