Leadership
Tyrone Oliver
Commissioner
Tyrone Oliver was named Commissioner of the Georgia Department of Juvenile Justice (DJJ) in July 2019 by Governor Brian P. Kemp. He is responsible for the daily operation of the multi-faceted agency of more than 3,400 funded positions that hold justice-involved youth accountable for their actions through probation supervision and secure detention.
Commissioner Oliver began his law enforcement career in 1999 as a Detention Officer with the Newton County Sheriff's Office. After becoming a Deputy Sheriff, Commissioner Oliver was promoted to Sergeant and subsequently promoted to Lieutenant. He held various positions with the Newton County Sheriff's Department to include Uniform Patrol, Community Outreach, East Metro Drug Enforcement, Criminal Investigations, Special Investigations, Crime Suppression, and Public Information Officer. His background allowed him the versatility to effectively serve the community in various disciplines.
In 2013, Commissioner Oliver was one of the first to be hired for the Brookhaven Police Department when the new city was formed. He was hired as a Sergeant and later promoted to Lieutenant. He later served as the Assistant Commander of Internal Affairs and Criminal Investigations. On January 8, 2016, Commissioner Oliver was officially named Chief of Police for the City of Social Circle after a long, competitive process. In November 2018, he was designated by the City of Social Circle as Deputy City Manager.
Under Commissioner Oliver's current leadership at the Georgia Department of Juvenile Justice, the agency has focused efforts to restore youth inside and outside of DJJ. Facilities through pro-social programs, education, credible messenger mentorship, and intense wraparound services. This community-focused approach has increased educational opportunities and job placement for youth throughout Georgia, decreasing gang affiliation and increasing successful societal reentry. In addition, 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. Additionally, in 2022, Commissioner Oliver was elected to sit on the Board of Directors of the Council of Juvenile Justice Administrators (CJJA) as Vice President.
Additionally, Oliver was appointed by Governor Kemp to serve on the Board of Peace Officers Annuity and Benefit Fund and the State Workforce Development Board. He also sits on the executive committees for the Criminal Justice Coordinating Council (CJCC) and the Department of Community Supervision. In August 2021, Oliver was the recipient of the CJJA President's Award and most recently became the recipient of the 2022 Pinnacle Leadership Award by the Board of Directors of the Fortitude Educational and Cultural Development Center, Incorporated.
Commissioner Oliver is a graduate of Columbus State University's Law Enforcement Professional Management Program. Additionally, he 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.
