ATLANTA - The American Probation and Parole Association (APPA) has selected Department of Community Supervision (DCS) Commissioner Michael Nail as the recipient of the 2016 APPA Walter Dunbar Memorial Award. The Walter Dunbar Memorial Award is APPA’s practitioner award and recognizes significant contributions by a practicing professional or a retired practitioner in the field of probation and/or parole. Presented in honor of one of APPA’s most distinguished colleagues, the late Walter Dunbar, recipients must have a national presence and influence and have provided a significant contribution to APPA.

In announcing his selection, APPA mentions that “Over the past year, he has led the development of Georgia’s newest state agency as the Commissioner of the Department of Community Supervision. Now, at the pinnacle of his profession and poised to leave a broad‐reaching legacy of positive change in Georgia’s criminal justice system, Nail is a deserving recipient of the Walter Dunbar Memorial Award.”

Governor Nathan Deal says that Nail’s selection is timely.

“Commissioner Nail’s long history of criminal justice and state service has made a profound impact on the community supervision profession. I am incredibly pleased to hear that his work to meet the needs of troubled families and neighborhoods with a holistic approach has gained him national recognition as a thought leader and practitioner in his field. Georgia has become the model for criminal justice reform across the nation, and with Commissioner Nail’s leadership, I have no doubt that Georgia will become the national leader in the field of community supervision as well,” said Deal.

“I am greatly humbled and honored to be selected as the recipient of the Walter Dunbar Memorial Award for 2016. At DCS, I am very fortunate to work alongside community supervision professionals that share APPA’s vision for the future of community corrections and embody the organization’s values in their daily work. I offer my sincerest gratitude to APPA for this honor and to my colleagues at DCS for their steadfast commitment to the betterment of the community supervision profession,” said Nail.

Nail will receive the Walter Dunbar Memorial Award in Cleveland, Ohio at the opening session of the APPA Training Institute on Sunday, August 28 at 5:30 PM.

The American Probation and Parole Association (APPA) is an international association composed of members from the United States, Canada and other countries actively involved with pretrial, probation, parole and community-based corrections, in both criminal and juvenile justice arenas. All levels of government including federal, state/provincial, local and tribal agencies are counted among its constituents.

Contact Information:

For more information, contact the DCS Office of Public Affairs at 404-309-7257 or [email protected]