Nothing For Us or About Us Without Us: The Execution of Two-Gen. Strategies and Principles with Justice-impacted Families

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Tamara Barber is a native of Cuthbert, Georgia, a devoted wife, and mother of two daughters. She began her career with the Georgia Department of Juvenile Justice in 2005 as a Juvenile Probation/Parole Specialist and has advanced through several leadership roles to her current position as Regional Administrator for the Southwest Region within the Division of Community Services. Tamara holds a Bachelor’s degree in Criminal Justice and a Master’s degree in Counseling and Psychology. She is a Certified General/Level 2 POST Instructor with the Georgia Public Training Center and has completed numerous leadership development programs. More recently, she is a 2024-2025 graduate of the Georgia 2Gen Academy. She has served on special projects and is a dedicated contributor to the agency and community programs. Her organizational affiliations include Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Incorporated; Jack and Jill of America, Incorporated; the American Probation and Parole Association and the Georgia Juvenile Services Association. Tamara is recognized for her leadership, mentorship, and service to both her profession and community, with a career defined by her commitment to strengthening organizations, advancing public safety, and empowering others through service.

Dr. Fern Clarke hails from Guyana, South America. She became a member of Zeta Phi Beta Sorority Inc. in 2018 by way of Epsilon Zeta Chapter. She currently serves as the State Social Action Coordinator and an Investigator on the National Disciplinary committee. She also serves on the Clayton County Public Schools, District 5 Advisory Council, and is a member of the Clayton County NAACP, and NCNW. She works diligently to support the community and believes that we all should strive to be servant leaders of our communities. In her professional life she serves as a Program Coordinator with the Georgia Department of Juvenile Justice. She is a certified Juvenile Sex Offender Counselor. Her career in Juvenile Justice has spanned over 17 years with a focus on advocating for youth’s re-entry into the community. She is an alumnus of Clayton State University and Walden University. Her dissertation focused on the Perceptions of Juvenile Probation Officers Role in Reducing Juvenile Recidivism among Black Males. Dr. Clarke is married to her husband of 15 years and has two sons, ages 21 and 13. She recently became a grandmother and has a 2-month-old granddaughter. Dr. Clarke is a 7-year Breast Cancer Survivor and her motto when facing adverse situations is “Faith over Fear”. Dr. Clarke earned a Bachelor of Science Degree in Criminal Justice and a Master of Arts Degree in Liberal Arts from Clayton State University. She earned an Advanced Graduate Studies certificate in Human Services and a Doctor of Philosophy degree in Human Services with a Criminal Justice Concentration from Walden University. She was a part of the first Georgia 2-Gen Academy.

Cathy Smith-Curry has over twenty-seven years of Criminal Justice experience while being employed with two corrections agencies in the state of Georgia, the Georgia Department of Juvenile Justice (DJJ), and the Georgia Department of Corrections (GDC). In Ms. Smith-Curry’s current role, she serves as the Director of the Office of Reentry Services with the Georgia Department of Juvenile Justice. She has worked to advance practices that have proven to be effective in improving outcomes for justice-involved youth and reducing recidivism. These strategies and interventions have added value to the transition planning process, which has enhanced parental engagement, increased youth post-release employment, provided educational opportunities, and stabilized the physical and behavioral well-being of youth returning to communities statewide. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. taught, “Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere.” Ms. Smith-Curry works to promote social and economic justice for all, equalizing rights and access to services and resources for at-risk youth, disenfranchised, and underinvested populations. With a personal mission of facilitating opportunities for change, rehabilitation, and restorative justice, Cathy is a citizen, public servant, and community leader working to enhance processes that create safe environments where people can live peaceably and thrive. Cathy is committed to her community and serves as Board Chair for S.H.A.R.E. House of Douglas County, a non-profit organization and state-certified domestic violence shelter that provides crisis intervention and a continuum of care to address the causes and effects of family violence. She is also serving a second term on the Douglas County Development Authority Board of Directors, Board Member for Café Momentum, Board Member for Mentor Georgia, Board Member, Georgia Statewide After School Network, Advisory Committee Member for the Technical College System of Georgia High School Initiatives, and Cathy is a Charter Member of the West Georgia Chapter of The Links Incorporated. Cathy also serves on several other boards and organizations. Cathy was apart of the first cohort of the Georgia 2-Gen. Academy. Cathy Smith-Curry holds a Bachelor of Science Degree in Organizational Leadership. Cathy is the proud mother of one daughter, Victory Ty Curry.