Corrections Today articles from October 2006

Corrections Today archives from October 2006

A call to end contraband cell phone use.(Guest Editorial)
October 1, 2006... As we continue to move forward into the new age of technology, a new dynamic in prison security and public safety has emerged. Drug trafficking, criminal organizations, money laundering, victim and witness intimidation, terrorism and facility...

Collaborative innovations will lead corrections into the future.(technology application in correctional institutions security)
October 1, 2006... In looking back at previous Security and Technology issues of Corrections Today (CT), I was struck by a reoccurring theme. What continued to resonate with me as I researched this topic was how much things have changed during my tenure in the...

Forensic Laboratories.(Profile)
October 1, 2006... Founded in 1986, Forensic Laboratories is a centralized laboratory in and around Colorado with more than 20 years of toxicology experience. While many laboratories are consolidating, closing facilities or dropping testing matrices altogether,...

States register meth offenders.(sex offender registries)(Brief article)
October 1, 2006... Some states are creating Internet registries of people convicted of making or selling methamphetamine, USA Today reported. In the past 18 months, Illinois, Minnesota and Tennessee have approved these registries, and since 2003, Montana has been...

California jail explores sustainable energy.(Santa Rita Jail sues fuel cells)(Brief article)
October 1, 2006... On August 10, Santa Rita Jail in Alameda County, Calif., unveiled the state's largest fuel cell that will power 80 percent of the 4,000-bed facility, along with its three-acre rooftop solar electric system, reported the Los Angles Times. The...

Indiana sets bike program in motion.(inmates of Indiana Department of Correction refurbishes bikes for Volunteers of America, and Bicycle Garage Indy)(Brief article)
October 1, 2006... The Indiana Department of Correction is working with Volunteers of America and Bicycle Garage Indy on the Shifting Gears: Recycled Bikes Program, in which inmates from the Pendleton Correctional Facility will refurbish donated bikes. Bikes...

Kansas county plans day reporting center.(News Briefs)(Brief article)
October 1, 2006... BI Inc. has contracted with Sedgwick County, Kan. to establish a day reporting center (DRC) in order to reduce jail overcrowding and incorporate research-based alternatives to detention. The center caters to lower-risk offenders who are...

Prison education: is it worth it?
October 1, 2006... On March 14, 2006, the author participated in the Prison Education Conference held at Quinsigamond Community College in Worcester, Mass. While presenting a workshop introducing the Freedom from Violence Program, now in its 11th year at the...

Supreme court is now in session: PLRA under review.(Prison Litigation Reform Act)
October 1, 2006... In an election year, Capitol Hill can be rather quiet in October and this year will be no different. Members of Congress are home in their districts campaigning for reelection and should not reconvene until after Election Day. However, while...

Security is the number one job in corrections: how well-trained is your staff?(American Correctional Association's Online Corrections Academy offers courses to train correctional officers)
October 1, 2006... In a correctional setting, security is a major concern. In fact, it is the number one job of correctional officers. Historically, officers have had to rely on limited resources to maintain the security of a facility and the safety of staff and...

Competency development and evidence-based programs in the juvenile justice system.(Juvenile Justice News)
October 1, 2006... Authors note: The Juvenile Probation Department in Lehigh County, Pa, has integrated the practice of involving youths referred to the department in competency development activities as well as evidence-based community treatment services...

Corrections calendar.(Brief article)(Calendar)
October 1, 2006... * Oklahoma Corectional Association, Oct. 18-20, Marriot Hotel, Oklahoma City. For more information, contact Jenny Handy at (405) 527-8901 or visit www.ocaonline.org * Washington Correctional Association, Oct. 25-27, Doubletree Inn,...

Director of business development for justice architecture: PSA-Dewberry Illinois.(Job Bank)
October 1, 2006... PSA-Dewberry, a national architecture and engineering firm, seeks individual to manage sales effort to expand firm's presence and reputation in correctional facilities, courts and public safety markets. Responsibilities include development and...

Corrections.(Correction notice)
October 1, 2006... The following listings were printed incorrectly in the 2006 Buyer's Guide. The American Correctional Association apologizes for any inconvenience these errors may have caused. BALLYMORE MEDICAL MANAGEMENT P.O. Box 16248 ...

Highlights from the 136th Congress of Correction.(Membership News)
October 1, 2006... Warm greetings to all that came to visit us at the ACA Membership booth at the 136th Congress of Correction in Charlotte. We saw applications from two new student chapters: Moraine Park Technical College Corrections Club in Fond Du Lac,...

Welcome new members.(Membership News)
October 1, 2006... ORGANIZATIONAL COLORADO -- Adams County, Colorado Department of Corrections MASSACHUSETTS -- Worcester County Sheriff's Office EXECUTIVE GOLD ILLINOIS -- David Rardin INDIANA -- Terry L. Stawar MARYLAND -- Marlene...

Controlling contraband.(CT FEATURE)
October 1, 2006... A correctional officer encounters an inmate who just stabbed another inmate with a homemade shank; correctional officers find an inmate who has committed suicide or has died of an overdose of illicit drugs; handmade weapons such as knives or...

Emerging Technologies for Community Corrections.(CT FEATURE)
October 1, 2006... The National Law Enforcement and Corrections Technology Center (NLECTC), a program of the National Institute of Justice, coordinates the annual Innovative Technologies for Community Corrections Conference. This event was created to spotlight...

Leveraging emergent security technologies and design: Illinois' new Kane County Adult Detention Center.(CT FEATURE)
October 1, 2006... The underpinning of any modern detention or correctional facility is security: physical barriers augmented by electronic systems to enable safe and secure facility operations. Recent technological advances are changing the landscape of security...

Communicating across language barriers: language translation technologies.(CT FEATURE)
October 1, 2006... Consider the following situations: Scenario 1: A distraught Spanish-speaking offender visits a probation/parole office during a lunch hour and tells the duty officer, "Finalmente encontre el valor de decirle a mi P.O. que necesito ayuda...

The OLETC Mock Prison Riot features technological improvements.(CT FEATURE)
October 1, 2006... The crowd that was gathering in the South Yard of the former West Virginia Penitentiary in Moundsville, W. Va., late in the afternoon on May 9, 2006, knew something big was about to happen. The approximately 200 people--a mix of correctional...

Breaking down language barriers in the correctional environment.(CT FEATURE)
October 1, 2006... Many people have found themselves in situations, some awkward, in which a spoken phrase has been misconstrued, creating a communication failure between a set of individuals. Human communication can be defined as the activity of conveying...

The emergence of global positioning satellite (GPS) systems in correctional applications.
October 1, 2006... It has been 11 years since 7-year-old Megan Kanka was raped and murdered by a twice-convicted sex offender who lived across the street. Since that terrible event, many lives have changed. Parents now seem to be more watchful of their children....

Ten questions to ask the walk-through metal detector salesperson.(CT FEATURE)
October 1, 2006... Walk-through metal detectors (WTMDs) are used to enhance security in correctional facilities around the world. Numerous foreign and domestic manufacturers offer various models designed to detect contraband on inmates, thus creating a safer...

Biometric technology is featured at the 2006 Mock Prison Riot.(CT FEATURE)
October 1, 2006... The law enforcement and corrections (LEC) community have a long history with the use of biometric technology. However, LEC officers are often out of the loop when learning about new developments in this area. A Historic Perspective ...

Progress and triumphs for U.S. correctional advisers in Iraq.
October 1, 2006... The fall of the Saddam Hussein regime in Iraq created a drastic gap in governmental services--so drastic that many of the Iraqi prisons were evacuated. The only prisons that remained relatively intact were the Kurdish prisons in the northern...

A rainy night in Georgia: managing change in the conditions of confinement.
October 1, 2006... Ray Charles probably had another Georgia in mind when he sang that mournful tune, but the Republic of Georgia has seen a lot of rain in its prison system since emerging in the 1990s as one of Europe's new democracies. Prior to Soviet domination...

E.R. Cass Award: ACA's highest honor.(American Correctional Association)
October 1, 2006... The E.R. Cass Correctional Achievement Award was created in 1962 in honor of Edward R. Cass, who devoted more than 50 years of his life to corrections. Serving as the American Correctional Association's general secretary for 40 consecutive...

Congress overview: working toward a better tomorrow at ACA's 136th Congress of Correction.(American Correctional Association's workshop )
October 1, 2006... ACA's 136th Congress of Correction in Charlotte, N.C., "Reaching Out: Overcoming Barriers to Successful Criminal Justice Programs," was truly a forum for collaboration and communication among criminal justice professionals. Participants from...

Dole brings all-American optimism to ACA's Opening Session.(Congress Recap)(Robert Dole's speach at American Correctional Association)
October 1, 2006... Former Sen. Robert Dole began his speech with jokes and good humor, entertaining the Monday morning Opening Session attendees with stories--from losing the 1996 presidential election to acting in a Pepsi commercial featuring Britney Spears. His...

Thank you, sponsors.(Congress Recap)
October 1, 2006... ACA thanks all of the Congress of Correction sponsors for their generous support and dedication. The Congress was a great success because of you! [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] ...

Exhibit hall opening.(Congress Recap)(Brief article)
October 1, 2006... The ACA exhibit hall opened on Monday morning with much fanfare. Attendees visited the exhibit booths of hundreds of corrections-related vendors. [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] ...

Monday night exhibit hall reception.(Congress Recap)
October 1, 2006... Monday night's exhibit hall reception was capped off by a drawing for $1,000. Esther Kulik walked away with the cash while attendees snacked on hot hors d'oeuvres and perused the booths of our exhibitors. [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] ...

Tuesday exhibit hall specialty break.(Congress Recap)
October 1, 2006... "An apple a day keeps the doctor away" was the theme of Tuesday morning's Specialty Break. An apple may keep the doctor away but hundreds of ACA Congress attendees came into the exhibit hall to visit with exhibitors and enjoy apple flavored...

Grand prize giveaway.(Congress Recap)
October 1, 2006... The exhibit hall closing on Wednesday afternoon culminated with the grand prize drawing for a 2007 bright red GMC Canyon pickup truck. The winner--Don Webb, center superintendent with the Arkansas Department of Community Corrections--drove off...

E.R. Cass citations: E.R. Cass Correctional Achievement Award.(American Correctional Association honors Walter B. Ridley and S. Anne Walker)
October 1, 2006... Editor's Note: The American Correctional Association's highest honor was bestowed upon Walter B. Ridley and S. Anne Walker, August 16, in Charlotte, N.C. The following citations are printed as they were read during the event. S. Anne...

Reception.(Congress Recap)
October 1, 2006... GTL Inmate Communication Services sponsored a lively reception before the E.R. Cass Award ceremony and banquet on Wednesday evening. Attendees and past E.R. Cass Award recipients had a chance to mingle and catch up with old friends and new...

Banquet.(Congress Recap)(Brief article)
October 1, 2006... E.R. Cass Award recipients Walter Ridley and Anne Walker danced to their favorite songs and got the crowd in the mood for The Temptations Review featuring Dennis Edwards. Attendees packed the dance floor and kept the party going. The...

Entertainment.(Congress Recap)
October 1, 2006... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED]

Award winners.(American Correctional Association honors correctional personnel)
October 1, 2006... Awardees During each Congress of Correction, many individuals and organizations are recognized for their significant contributions to the corrections field. The American Correctional Association would like to congratulate the following...

Workshop coverage: 136th Congress of Correction workshops address a variety of issues.(Congress Recap)(Conference news)
October 1, 2006... Corrections Must Train To Retain Quality Staff As moderator and speaker for the session, "Student Issue: Transition from Classroom to Workplace," Capt. John Scott Wilson initiated dialogue with attendees about what needs to be improved in...

Policies and resolutions.(Congress Recap)
October 1, 2006... Editor's Note: The existing policies and resolution printed below were reviewed, amended and approved for continuation by the Delegate Assembly in Charlotte, N.C. Go to the Past, Present and Future section of ACA's Web site, www.aca.org, to...

ARAMARK Correctional Services.(Private Sector News)(appointments at ARAMARK Correctional Services)(Brief article)
October 1, 2006... ARAMARK Correctional Services, a leader in professional services, announced the appointment of four executives to its company team. Appointed members include: Tom Burns, senior vice president of municipal operations; Susan Meier, vice president...

HEERY International.(Private Sector News)(Brief article)
October 1, 2006... HEERY International, one of the nation's leading program management firms, was selected by Palm Beach County, Fla., to manage its planned jail expansion and renovation program, which includes additions and renovations to two facilities and...

Johnson Controls.(Private Sector News)(Brief article)
October 1, 2006... Johnson Controls, a global leader in interior experience, building efficiency and power solutions, was selected to participate in the Gulf Coast Business Investment Mission to Louisiana and Mississippi May 4 and 5. The company joined a variety...

Norix Group Inc.(Private Sector News)
October 1, 2006... Norix Group Inc., a correctional furniture company, is licensed by the United States to sell the DuraVision line, including DuraVision mirrors, which Norix recommends for real-time surveillance combined with closed-circuit cameras for added...

Introduction to Corrections.(Book review)
October 1, 2006... Introduction to Corrections, by Michael L. Birzer and Cliff Roberson, Washburn University, Copperhouse Atomic Dog Publishing, 2004, 519 pp. This book cannot be judged by its cover. From the title, Introduction to Corrections, seasoned...

New-age perspectives on an age-old question: do higher incarceration rates mean lower crime rates?
October 1, 2006... All public policies have an impact--even if it is not always the one that was anticipated or desired. That is because there is no simple cause-and-effect relationship between implementing public policy and achieving its objectives. Even the...

Improving outcomes for women involved in the criminal justice system.(NIC Update)(National Institute of Corrections)
October 1, 2006... The National Institute of Corrections (NIC) has maintained an interest in improving outcomes for female offenders almost since its inception in 1974. During the past three decades, NIC has broadened its focus on women involved in the criminal...

Probation Conference in Poland.(Probation and Parole Forum)
October 1, 2006... In response to an invitation from the Association of Probation Officers of Wielkopolska, the Polish Ministry of Justice and Adam Mickiewicz University at Poznan, the National Association of Probation Executives selected a delegation of...

Correlating incarcerated mothers, foster care and mother-child reunification.(NIJ Update)
October 1, 2006... Author's note: Points of view expressed in this article do not represent the official position or policies of the U.S. Department of Justice. Is a mother's incarceration directly responsible for her child's placement in foster care, and...