 Jacquelyn H. Barrett Papers
Collection DescriptionBiographical NoteJacquelyn Harrison Barrett (Washington) was born in 1950 in Charlotte, North Carolina. She began her career as a curriculum specialist at the Georgia Peace Officer Standards and Training Council, progressively rising through the ranks to eventually become the Assistant to the Executive Director developing content for executive training for Chiefs of Police and Sheriffs in Georgia. She also served as a liaison to the National Association of State Directors of Law Enforcement Training and participated in the establishment of operational standards for the Commission on Accreditation for Law Enforcement Agencies (CALEA). Barrett went on to serve as Director of the Fulton County Public Safety Training Center where she developed a Sheriff's Elect Training Course. In 1992, Barrett became the first African-American woman elected to the office of Sheriff in the United States. As Sheriff of Fulton County, she managed the operation of Georgia's largest Sheriff's Department and oversaw the operations of the Fulton County Jail. During her tenure the Fulton County Sheriff's Department received the Triple Crown Accreditation from CALEA. Under her leadership the Sheriff's Department opened the South Fulton Precinct, the department reserve added seventy-five volunteers to provide support to charitable organizations, the Chaplaincy Corp added fifty volunteers, and an AARP program was implemented to provide personal safety training to seniors. Barrett also participated in the Olympic Security Partnership responsible for securing the venues during the 1996 Summer Olympic Games in Atlanta. Despite Barrett's many accomplishments as Sheriff, a "reverse discrimination" suit was filed against her by 16 white deputy sheriffs in 1996. Also, her final term was overshadowed by accusations that she mishandled public funds and did not properly disclose campaign contributions. In July 2004, Governor Sonny Perdue suspended Barrett from office for the remainder of her term. After twenty-eight years in the criminal justice profession, Barrett became Director of Programs at the Cascade United Methodist Church until 2008, when she began teaching at West Georgia College and Spelman College. Throughout her career, Barrett was very active in professional and civic organizations. She served on the Georgia Commission on Family Violence, Georgia Board of Public Safety, State Judicial Nominating Committee, and the Georgia Commission on Children. She was also very active in the National Organization of Black Law Enforcement Executives (NOBLE) and was the first woman to serve as president of the organization. Scope and ContentThe papers primarily consist of speech and event files containing drafts and copies of speeches Barrett delivered to various professional, civic, and religious organizations from 1993 to 2004. These events and others are documented in her appointment books (1995-2003). There are also a small number of photographs, campaign files, and files documenting her responsibilities overseeing the Fulton County Jail. The papers include speech and event files, policy and procedural manuals, photographs, reports, campaign files, schedules, and plaques and awards. Organization and ArrangementThe papers are organized by topic and format. Administrative InformationPreferred CitationJacquelyn H. Barrett Papers, Richard B. Russell Library for Political Research and Studies, University of Georgia Libraries, Athens, Georgia, 30602-1641. Copyright InformationBefore material from collections at the Richard B. Russell Library may be quoted in print, or otherwise reproduced, in whole or in part, in any publication, permission must be obtained from (1) the owner of the physical property, and (2) the holder of the copyright. It is the particular responsibility of the researcher to obtain both sets of permissions. Persons wishing to quote from materials in the Russell Library collection should consult the Director. Reproduction of any item must contain a complete citation to the original. Finding Aid PublicationFinding aid prepared on: 2012. Related Materials and SubjectsSubject TermsRelated Collections in this Repository
George Ervin (Sonny) Perdue Official Papers Zell Miller Papers, Series IV: Governor of Georgia Related Collections in Other RepositoriesMaynard Jackson Mayoral Administrative Records, Robert W. Woodruff Library, Atlanta University Center Executive Department, Governor's Subject Files, Georgia Archives | ||||||||||||||||||||