Influential Woman · Criminal Justice / Community Supervision

Anitra Justice

Assistant Chief, Georgia Department of Community Supervision

Marietta, GA

Certifications · Degrees · Memberships

Degree Bachelor's Degree in Criminal Justice with Minor in Psychology from Troy University Degree Master's Degree in Counseling Psychology from Capella University Degree Associate Degree in Office Administration Member Georgia Association of Women in Public Safety Member Georgia Professional Association of Community Supervision Member American Probation and Parole Association (APPA)

Her Story

About Anitra

I've dedicated 19 years to working in probation and parole, driven by a desire to help people who've made mistakes become productive citizens again. When I graduated with my criminal justice degree, I knew I wanted to work with the public in a meaningful way. I originally considered becoming a police officer, but I realized I wanted that feel-good sense at the end of the day - knowing that just because someone made a mistake doesn't mean they're a bad person, and they can be rehabilitated. After an internship with a local District Attorney's Office, I moved straight into probation and parole, and I can honestly say there are no two days that are the same. As Assistant Chief, I supervise 5 officers, which means I'm reviewing body cam footage to ensure they're adhering to our policies and treating the community with respect, preparing cases for court, approving warrants when violations occur, and making sure we're upholding court orders while integrating individuals back into society. My main area of expertise is community supervision - the totality of ensuring individuals are doing what they're supposed to do based on court orders and helping them reintegrate. One of my most notable achievements was the day I opened my door to receive a pizza delivery and discovered the delivery person was someone I had supervised years prior. Seeing that they had finished their GED, had a job, were saving money, and weren't back in jail - that they had listened, put the resources I provided into action, and became successful - that's probably the highlight of my career.

Her Interview

Ten minutes with Anitra

01What’s the best career advice you’ve ever received?

The best advice I've ever received is to always remain open-minded and never allow your personal feelings to direct your decision. When you're in a hard position, you can't just go with how you feel - you need to set that aside and look at what policy says. That's what you go with. Anytime you start to let your personal feelings get involved, that's when you're playing in a gray area, and it's usually not in the best interests of all parties involved. It's hard in this line of work trying to separate your personal feelings, especially when you come across people that you know have the potential but they're just being knuckleheads and don't want to do right, or when you see a young mom come through who doesn't have her GED, has a few kids and no support system, and you just want to hug them. But you have to separate your personal feelings and refer back to policy.

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