Corrections Today articles from June 2002

Corrections Today archives from June 2002

A salute to corrections professionals.(Brief Article)(Editorial)
June 1, 2002... Military forces and equipment ensure the safety and security of our nation every day of our lives. We are protected in our neighborhoods, cities and countrysides by police officers and deputy sheriffs who ensure that crime is prevented -- but...

Attracting the best to Corrections. (Commentary).(Brief Article)
June 1, 2002... This issue of Corrections Today focuses on some of the best ways to recruit competent employees, help them grow into dependable high-achieving public servants and retain them until their retirement. It also contains various inspiring personal...

Profile.(Secure Pharmacy Plus )(Brief Article)
June 1, 2002... In 1991, Trey Hartman, Pharm.D., and his father, Enoch Hartman, Pharm.D., founded Secure Pharmacy Plus (SPP). SPP evolved from a small family-owned pharmacy in Franklin, Tenn., called Hutcherson's Pharmacy, which provided pharmaceutical...

President aims to reduce illegal drugs. (Legislative Issues).(2002 National Drug Control Strategy,)(Brief Article)
June 1, 2002... After years of "tough on crime" policies that resulted in a dramatic increase in prison populations, President Bush announced the 2002 National Drug Control Strategy, which makes it clear that drug treatment and education will play a much more...

Inmates can sue to drink Communion wine. (National News Briefs).(Brief Article)
June 1, 2002... A U.S. appeals court ruled that two Catholic inmates can proceed with their lawsuit against a federal prison rule that bans them from drinking wine with Communion during Mass, reports Reuters. According to the three-judge panel, the inmates'...

Federal prison population increases. (National News Briefs).(Brief Article)(Statistical Data Included)
June 1, 2002... The federal prison system experienced its largest six-month increase last year, adding 7,372 inmates to its population during the first half of 2001, reports the Bureau of Justice Statistics (BJS). At the same time, state prisons experienced...

Kentucky mental health bill fails. (State News).(Brief Article)
June 1, 2002... The Courier-Journal recently reported that in April, the Kentucky Senate killed a bill aimed at improving mental health care in jails -- even after the bill got a last-minute revival in the House. Senate floor leader Dan Kelly (R-Springfield)...

Wisconsin ruling defines mentally ill. (State News).(Brief Article)
June 1, 2002... A judge in April resolved one of the last remaining issues in a lawsuit filed by inmates against Wisconsin's ultra-security prison, defining which inmates are "seriously mentally ill" and should not be kept there, according to the Milwaukee...

Traveling and training with ACA -- a rewarding experience. (A View from the Line).(American Correctional Association goes to Saipan)
June 1, 2002... When Jack Greene, director of the American Correctional Association's (ACA) Professional Development Department, asked if I would be interested in training Saipan Department of Youth Services employees for two weeks, I said, "I would love to...

Therapeutic communities: thinking outside the box.
June 1, 2002... If it takes an entire village to raise a child, what does it take to maintain an adult, disaffected substance abuser, convicted and imprisoned for yet another felony offense? One thing most correctional administrators know for sure is that...

Screening and assessing co-occurring disorders. (Juvenile Justice News).
June 1, 2002... There is an urgent need for proper guidelines, testing and interview materials, and acceptable procedures for youth's treatment upon entering the juvenile justice system. Often, adolescent offenders are quickly shuffled through court...

132nd Congress of Correction August 3-8, 2002 Anaheim, California.
June 1, 2002... Opening Session Debate Carlson vs. Carlson Sunday, August 4, 2002 Anaheim Marriott Hotel, Ballroom 8:00 p.m. - 9:30 p.m. Carlson vs. Carlson, a political debate featuring Margaret Carlson, columnist for TIME magazine, and...

A true mover and shaker. (Best in the Business).(Mickey Ameigh, Wyoming County Correctional Facility)(Brief Article)
June 1, 2002... Before Mickey Ameigh became warden of the Wyoming County Correctional Facility in Tunkhannock, Pa., the facility was known throughout the state correctional and local law enforcement communities as Bob's Best Western. In fact, the only thing...

A selfless gift. (Best in the Business).(Pamela Baker, Elayn Hunt Correctional Center)(Brief Article)
June 1, 2002... Pamela Baker, master sergeant of Unit 2-Visiting at Elayn Hunt Correctional Center in St. Gabriel, La., feels it is important to give back to the community. As a volunteer employee liaison for the Correctional Peace Officers Foundation (CPOF),...

Believing in troubled boys. (Best in the Business).(California Youth Authority's Fred G. Nelles High School )(Brief Article)
June 1, 2002... If a high school principal was to say that one of her teachers "can take a noncompliant kid and talk to him until he is ready to apologize," that would be considered an accolade. But consider that the principal is Glenda Pressley of the...

An answer to inmates' prayers. (Best in the Business).(Chaplain Earl Bell, Frankfort Career Development Center)(Brief Article)
June 1, 2002... Chaplain Earl Bell, a pastor from 1979 until 1992 -- first in Kentucky and later in Virginia and Arizona -- began working part-time at the Kentucky Department of Corrections (DOC) Frankfort Career Development Center (FCDC) in 1997. "I have a...

An inspiration for success. (Best in the Business).(Louis Bruce, Hutchinson Correctional Facility)(Brief Article)
June 1, 2002... According to Louis Bruce, warden of the Hutchinson Correctional Facility (HCF) in Hutchinson, Kan., "Success is more about serving other people than serving yourself." If one were to measure Bruce's accomplishments this way, he has led an...

The many rewards of giving. (Best in the Business).(Angela Chavis-Mickey, North Carolina Department of Correction)(Brief Article)
June 1, 2002... Dr. Angela Chavis-Mickey is not your ordinary dentist. Employed by the North Carolina Department of Correction since 1994, she has worked at the Lumberton Correctional Institution in Lumberton, N.C., for the past two and one-half years. But it...

"Can-Do" attitude shines through. (Best in the Business).(Jon Flippin, Beloit Juvenile Correctional Facility)(Brief Article)
June 1, 2002... Although Jon Flippin, juvenile corrections officer III and director of safety and security at the Beloit Juvenile Correctional Facility in Beloit, Kan., has been in corrections for a relatively short time, his presence has been widely felt. In...

Insistence on Persistence. (Best in the Business).(Karen Gedney, Nevada's Department of Corrections)(Brief Article)
June 1, 2002... For more than a decade, Nevada's Department of Corrections' (DOC) Dr. Karen Gedney has aided the cause of every kind of inmate imaginable: the artistic, the addicted, the diseased, and the old and enfeebled. Her ability to touch so many lives...

Volunteers teach inmates nonviolent alternatives. (Best in the Business).(Alternatives to Violence Project)(Brief Article)
June 1, 2002... Volunteer work and social justice have always played significant roles in the lives of Joel and Stephen Hill, who have been volunteers at the Roxbury Correctional Institution (RCI) in Hagerstown, Md., since 1996. "There has always been a piece...

Bravery, teamwork and training save a life. (Best in the Business).(correctional officers restrain inmate)(Brief Article)
June 1, 2002... Training, teamwork and instinct played important roles in resolving a life-threatening situation at the R.B. "Dick" Conner Correctional Center (DCCC) in Hominy, Okla. Thanks to Sgt. Joe Long, and Cpls. Keith Martin and Nance Weaver, a life was...

Training made fun. (Best in the Business).(Arizona Department of Corrections)(personnel training curriculum)(Brief Article)
June 1, 2002... Since 1995, Eva Reynolds Martony has served the Arizona Department of Corrections in several capacities, despite the fact that she had not previously worked in corrections. "Whether serving as regional training supervisor or curriculum manager,...

"Productivity" in the community. (Best in the Business).(inmates involved in Oregon Food Bank Produce Recovery Program)(Brief Article)
June 1, 2002... In two years, Oregon Department of Corrections (ODOC) inmates have helped the Oregon Food Bank Fresh Produce Recovery Program acquire 2 million pounds of fruits and vegetables that otherwise would have gone to waste. To some, feeding...

Using business savvy to reduce recidivism. (Best in the Business).(Florida program helps inmates obtain employment)(Brief Article)
June 1, 2002... Providing vocational training and education to inmates is nothing new. However, what Richard Nelson accomplishes in the Florida Department of Correction's (DOC) Project Re-Connect goes one step further. He markets inmates to firms that are...

A dedicated teacher. (Best in the Business).(Racine Correctional Institution's Barbara Rasmussen)(Brief Article)
June 1, 2002... Barbara Rasmussen has been an adult basic education (ABE) teacher at the Wisconsin Department of Corrections Racine Correctional Institution (RCI) in Sturtevant, Wisc., for nearly 10 years. Because she grew up near a prison, and many of her...

Bringing victims' experiences to offenders. (Best in the Business).(Iowa Department of Correctional Services program)(Brief Article)
June 1, 2002... She does not use a clock. This is how Dennis DeBerg, parole officer III for the First Judicial District of the Iowa Department of Correctional Services, describes Laura Scheffert James, the community treatment coordinator working in the...

Courage under fire. (Best in the Business).(New York City officer foils robbery attempt)(Brief Article)
June 1, 2002... It was 11:30 p.m. when Capt. Dana Shehee of the New York City Department of Corrections decided to pick up some Chinese food for his family before the Queens restaurant closed. Ordinarily, the family would already have eaten, but nothing was...

A commendable partner. (Best in the Business).(probation officer Douglas Watts saves police officer)(Brief Article)
June 1, 2002... March 24, 2001, started as just another day for Douglas Watts, a probation officer for the Delaware Department of Correction's (DOC) Division of Probation and Parole. However, the evening brought on a life-threatening and life-altering...

Florida's recruitment methods: Attracting and retaining valuable employees.(Department of Corrections)
June 1, 2002... Choosing a career in corrections has never been for the fainthearted. Recruitment and retention are difficult tasks, but the Florida Department of Corrections (DOC) is meeting these challenges. "An aggressive recruitment program is paramount to...

Correctional officer recruitment and retention in Texas.
June 1, 2002... The Texas prison system is seriously redefining the term co-equal as it applies to the dual mission of recruiting and retaining correctional officers. With security force attrition rates near or higher than 20 percent for four straight years,...

The bureau of staff enrichment: employees are our most valuable resource.
June 1, 2002... Stoicism is a traditional element of corrections. Staff are known for, and proud of, being an oasis of calm in a storm of controversy and emotion. However, it is important to keep in mind that corrections is a profession made up of human beings...

Hiring correctional staff with the right stuff.(Editorial)
June 1, 2002... This issue of Corrections Today honors men and women in corrections who have made outstanding contributions to the profession. The nature and scope of these contributions varies from individual acts of heroism to dedication and commitment to...

Recruitment and retention programs: Important during economic ups and downs.
June 1, 2002... Economic factors across the nation have impacted the private and public sectors regarding work force stability. Layoffs, hiring freezes and business reorganizations are pressing issues that challenge business operations when confronted with...

An interview with Elaine Little: Director of the North Dakota Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation.(Interview)
June 1, 2002... After graduating from Dickinson State University in 1975 with a bachelor's degree in business administration and accounting Elaine Little began her career in the fiscal area with North Dakota's Legislative Council. In 1981, she became the...

A hammer and nail approach to rebuilding young lives: Florida's Avon Park Youth Academy and STREET Smart.
June 1, 2002... Except for the tall chain-link fences around the perimeter of the property, the modest duplexes resemble those in many other suburban housing developments with green lawns and blooming flower gardens that line clean and winding streets....

ACA policies and resolutions. (Winter Conference Recap). (American Correctional Association).
June 1, 2002... Editor's Note: Due to space constraints the policies and resolutions discussed at the Winter Conference in San Antonio, were not printed in the April 2002 issue of Corrections Today. They appear below. Amended and Approved Policies and...

Are prison classification systems addressing the diverse inmate population? (NIC Update).
June 1, 2002... The development of comprehensive objective classification systems allows agencies to address important aspects of managing their diverse inmate populations, and a greater number recognize the importance of monitoring and updating systems to...

ACA Needs Your Help: Play a part in recruiting new members. (Membership News).
June 1, 2002... June is National Membership Month. You know the benefits of American Correctional Association (ACA) membership, so why not encourage your colleagues to become ACA members, too? Urge them to join the Association and take advantage of the great...

The final chapters of Ruiz v. Estelle. (Judicial News).
June 1, 2002... In 1972, inmate David Ruiz filed a handwritten lawsuit against the Texas Department of Corrections (TDC), which was destined to become the most far-reaching prison conditions litigation in American history. It is likely that this epic case will...

Testing technology: from the lab to the field with facial recognition. (Technology Update).(Prince George County Correctional Center)
June 1, 2002... Author's Note: Points of view expressed in this article do not necessarily represent those of the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ). If you walked into the Prince George's County Correctional Center in Upper Marlboro, Md., earlier this year,...

The Cumberland County Jail in Portland, Maine, recently became one of only 4 percent of adult correctional facilities to be nationally accredited, out of 3,200 that are eligible. (Private Sector News).(American Correctional Association)(Brief Article)
June 1, 2002... The Cumberland County Jail in Portland, Maine, recently became one of only 4 percent of adult correctional facilities to be nationally accredited, out of 3,200 that are eligible. The American Correctional Association (ACA) issued the...

Dominion Wireless released in February the next generation of its FLARE[TM] personal alarm locating transmitter. (Private Sector News).(Brief Article)(Evaluation)(Product Announcement)
June 1, 2002... Dominion Wireless released in February the next generation of its FLARE [TM] personal alarm locating transmitter. The transmitter's design is updated to improve ease-of-use and Dominion has added a man-down function. The new features maximize...

Verizon Communications recently awarded two national literacy organizations, both based in Syracuse, N.Y., $350,000 in grants to support workplace literacy and online literacy resource development projects. (Private Sector News).(Laubach Literacy International and Literacy Volunteers of America)(Brief Article)(Statistical Data Included)
June 1, 2002... Verizon Communications recently awarded two national literacy organizations, both based in Syracuse, N.Y., $350,000 in grants to support workplace literacy and online literacy resource development projects. Laubach Literacy International (LLI)...

Enhancing supervision by engaging Families. (Probation and Parole Forum).(social services, United States)(Brief Article)
June 1, 2002... The benefits of engaging the family to help supervise offenders is clear: Families are there when probation and parole officers are not, according to Carol Shaprio, keynote speaker at the American Probation and Parole Association's Winter...

Alcatraz Island: Memoirs of a Rock Doc. (Bookshelf).
June 1, 2002... Alcatraz Island Memoirs of a Rock Doc, by Milton Daniel Beacher, MD., edited by Dianne Beacher Perfit, Pelican Island Publishing, 2001, 292 pp. Alcatraz Island: Memoirs of a Rock Doc is the personal account of a physician stationed at the...