From Burnout to Balance: A Self-Care Workshop for Today's Criminal Justice Workforce

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risten Brooks began her career with the state of Georgia as an Intern with the Newton County Public Defender's Office in 2017. In 2018, she graduated from the University of Georgia with a bachelor’s degree in criminal justice and a bachelor’s in sociology. That same year she was hired by the Georgia Department of Juvenile Justice (DJJ) as a Juvenile Probation/Parole Specialist. In 2019, Kristen was promoted to Probation Officer with the High-Intensity Team Supervision (HITS) unit. While working with DJJ, Kristen assisted with authoring the DJJ policy for the HITS unit and supervised some of the most serious juvenile offenders. In addition to her day-to-day duties, she was responsible for conducting secure transports, executing warrants, working in juvenile detention centers, and training new staff. In 2021, Kristen was hired by the Georgia Office of Victim Services (GOVS) as a Victim Services Specialist. While at GOVS, she was the primary coordinator of the Lifer Attempt to Locate Project. She also piloted the new Five-Year Review Victim Notification Project, presented at the first GOVS conference, and assisted with the implementation of Victim Impact Sessions. Additionally, Kristen created a Community Resource Guide used by GOVS to assist crime victims based on their county of residence. She created the division’s first safety planning process, and after completing the Department of Community Supervision's Basic Training in November 2022, she went on to serve as the division’s investigator. In 2023, Kristen was promoted to the Georgia Parole Board’s Pre-Release Considerations Division, where she currently serves as a Hearing Examiner. There she prepares cases for review by providing the Board members with all necessary information to make parole decisions. Kristen also served as the 2025 Parole Commissioner for the Georgia Professional Association of Community Supervision.

Rasheda Castleberry is a graduate of Kennesaw State University with a bachelor’s degree in criminal justice with a concentration in Forensic Behavioral Science. While at Kennesaw State University, she was a member of the Student Taskforce of Interpersonal Violence and a member of the Criminal Justice Student Organization. In 2006, Rasheda began her law enforcement career as a sergeant with the Paulding Regional Youth Detention Center under the Georgia Department of Juvenile Justice. She also worked in a group home for troubled and at-risk youth. She began her career with the State of Georgia in June 2011, with the Department of Juvenile Justice in Cobb County, she served as a sergeant in the Marietta Regional Youth Detention Center. In November 2012, she accepted a position with the Department of Corrections as a Felony Probation Officer in Marietta. She served as a Court/Revocation team member and PRCC Officer. In May 2014, Rasheda was hired by the State Board of Pardons and Paroles as a parole officer in the Marietta office. She was promoted to the position of Field Training Officer for the Marietta office in April 2016. She was then quickly promoted to Assistant Chief in November 2016. In that capacity, she had been instrumental in training officers in the Marietta office. She completed Crisis Intervention Training in 2014, Field Training Officer Academy in June 2016, POST Instructor Training in August 2016, Defensive tactics Instructor in February 2017, and Use of Force Instructor in May 2017. In May 2019, Rasheda was hired by the State Board of Pardons and Paroles as a Criminal Investigator III/Hearing Examiner. She is a member of the Cobb County Domestic Violence Taskforce, an organization of community organizations that develop and implement strategies to reduce the number of domestic violence cases in Cobb County.

Lisa D. Copeland is a 1993 graduate of the University of Nevada, Las Vegas, with a Bachelor of Arts in Criminal Justice. She earned her master's degree in public safety administration in 2025, from Columbus State University. She began her career in the criminal justice system with the Nevada Division of Parole and Probation in November 1994, where she supervised a caseload of persons with sexual offenses and a specialized caseload of DUI inmates. In May 1998, she relocated to Florida and became a Correctional Probation Officer. In December 1999, Lisa moved to Georgia, joining the State Board of Pardons and Paroles. As a parole officer, she supervised those with sexual offenses and was the liaison for the Project Safe Neighborhoods Initiative. In May 2003, she was promoted to Chief Parole Officer in Monroe, GA. Then, in July 2005, she transferred to the Clemency Division as a Hearing Examiner, responsible for reviewing cases for sexual offenses, problem residence cases, and Residential Substance Abuse Treatment (RSAT) cases. In November 2012, she was promoted to the position of Senior Hearing Examiner, a role she held until her promotion to Deputy Director of the Pre-Release Considerations Division in January 2019. Lisa is a graduate of the Correctional Leadership Institute (CLI), the American Probation and Parole (APPA) Leadership Institute, and the Georgia Association of Chiefs of Police Chief Executive training program.

Crystal Moon serves as Director of the Pre-Release Considerations Division, directing the processes for case preparation and delivering cases to the Board to make informed, scientific, data-driven decision-making and ensuring all Board decisions are properly implemented and enforced in accordance with legal and procedural guidelines. Those processes include the application of the Board’s guidelines resulting in time-to-serve recommendations to the members in applicable cases. Responsibilities include ensuring the Board’s and statutory clemency notification processes occur and identifying ways to enhance efficiency, fairness, and transparency in the consideration process. Crystal also represents the agency through close collaboration with stakeholders, active participation in public forums, and by providing recommendations to other governmental entities on consideration decision-making. The role of the Pre-Release Considerations is essential in ensuring that the justice system fairly considers rehabilitation, mitigating circumstances, and justice reform while balancing legal integrity and public safety.