• Opening Session, Jan. 13, 2003
• Annual Winter Conference Luncheon, Jan. 14, 2003
• Closing Breakfast, Jan. 15, 2003
• Winter Conference Workshops
  • ACA Launches Work Force Initiative
  • Reaching Inmates Through Art
  • Gangs and Religion: A Potential Connection
  • Typology of Sex Offenders
  • Drug Courts Make a Difference
  • Developing and Implementing Emergency Response Teams
  • Mothers and Babies in Correctional Facilities
• Silent Auction
• ACA Winter Conference Awards
• Student Poster Session Winners
• Grand Prize Giveaway Game

Opening Session, Jan. 13, 2003

When Sarah V. Hart, director of the National Institute of Justice, served as a prosecutor in the Philadelphia District Attorney's Office as lead counsel in institutional litigation involving the Philadelphia prison system, the advice she gave her clients was: "Don't worry, it's not as bad as you think. Everybody gets sued in this job."

At that time, lawsuits were an unfortunate and all too frequent fact of life for corrections practitioners. To illustrate that point, Hart asked audience members during her keynote speech at the Opening Session Monday if they had been sued during the course of their correctional careers - nearly half raised their hands.

Today, however, 50 percent fewer lawsuits have been filed in the nation since the enactment of the Prison Litigation Reform Act (PLRA). Hart provided substantial assistance to the U.S. Congress in drafting the federal legislation while serving the Pennsylvania correctional system.

During her time in Philadelphia, Hart realized that the criminal justice system really was a unified system "that is only as strong as each of its parts. If there is a problem in one of them, it really does affect they way you do business in all the others." The city was on the verge of bankruptcy and as a result, city administrators, who were not involved in the day-to-day operations of the prison system or the court system, decided they could save money by capping the prison population.

City officials decided that the way to control the prison population was to preclude the detention of people charged with nonviolent offenses, said Hart. It did not matter if the offender had a drug or alcohol problem, if he or she was on probation or parole, or how many times he or she failed to appear for court. Selling drugs was considered nonviolent. So, drug dealers would be arrested, and told they did not have to pay bail and that if they came to court, they might be convicted of a mandatory sentence and go to state prison. However, if they did not come to court and they were arrested again, they still could not be locked up. "You can imagine what happened," said Hart. "We had in Philadelphia a 76 percent failure-to-appear rate in our drug dealing cases. That compared with a 3 percent failure-to-appear rate in our aggravated assault cases, which were not covered by the prison cap."

A tremendous amount of money had been spent on law enforcement trying to detect crimes and there were pretrial bail programs designed to deal with drug-addicted offenders that were rendered useless by the consent decree because prosecutors did not have the ability to force offenders to go into the programs, explained Hart. "There was nothing that had a bigger impact on our ability to handle cases and process cases than that consent decree," she said. As a result, more than 9,000 offenders who were released by the prison cap order were arrested for new crimes including 79 murders during the following 18 months.

Philadelphia was not alone, continued Hart. There were many jurisdictions around the country that had launched prison orders to control the management of their prison systems. Some decrees were incredibly detailed and micromanaged the facilities - one even detailed the brand of cleaner to be used in the correctional facilities. Back in the 1970s and 1980s, when prison systems were facing budget crises, many agreed to the consent decrees, which provided them with some leverage during appropriations since the system was court-ordered to do certain things. However, correctional managers found that the consent decrees tied their hands and were difficult to change even if it was not the best way to do business. Staff were disempowered and correctional administrators found they needed the ability to manage their prisons.

PLRA allowed federal judges to fix constitutional violations within the prison systems, but administrators were given the primary responsibility of running their facilities. The federal legislation limited the types of orders and the number of provisions within those orders, as well as stated that the least intrusive measure should be applied. Additionally, PLRA regularized a way that prison administrators can re-evaluate the decrees every two years to see if they are still necessary. And inmates now have to pay to file a lawsuit to reduce frivolous lawsuits, they must first follow the correctional agency's administrative grievances procedure to give correctional administrators a chance to address the problem first. Also, there is a three-strikes provision to deter frequent filers unless it is a safety issue.

As a result of PLRA, Hart said she noticed a change in the focus of the administrator meetings for the Pennsylvania Department of Corrections. Whereas in the past, they discussed how to implement consent decrees, they were now discussing their ideas on how to make the system better for inmates and staff. "I was really pleased to see that," she said.

Today in her position as NIJ director, Hart oversees research and development. The work conducted by NIJ is to benefit practitioners, not academics, she said, stressing that the agency's clients are state and local governments and that she respects the practitioners' needs. "That's where the business of criminal justice in this country is done, primarily on the state and local levels," she said.

NIJ looks at which programs work, as well as which are most cost-effective. Hart said she also feels strongly about looking at ways technology can enhance staff safety. Currently, NIJ is examining ways to make it more difficult for inmates to make weapons out of the materials to which they have access in correctional facilities. The institute is also looking at biometrics and less-than-lethal technology.

Hart closed by telling the audience that she is always interested in receiving input from practitioners. "I know what it is you do. I have seen it," she said. "What you do is very important. You make people's lives better."

Also, at the Opening Session, ACA President Charles J. Kehoe welcomed attendees to Charlotte and outlined his plans for the Association for the next 18 months. "This is a time of challenge," Kehoe said, noting the nationwide budget deficits, higher unemployment rates and gubernatorial changes. "Our association, as well as many of our affiliates, are having to tighten our belts during these difficult economic times." However, Kehoe told the audience that ACA must move forward despite tough times. This will be possible, he said, due to corrections' tremendous leaders and employees. Kehoe complimented the resilience of correctional employees who try to make communities safer places and help offenders become law-abiding citizens upon release.

"It is essential that ACA stay future-focused," Kehoe said, adding, "Change is happening so quickly that if we cannot respond proactively to the future we help create, we will be forced to live a future created by others." Quoting from the book, Trends 2000, by Gerald Celente, Kehoe said, "The key to our system is making connections between seemingly unrelated fields." He believes that there will be a lot of trend-watching during the next few years as corrections professionals try to learn what will impact the field. There also will be greater use of technology so that leadership will be able to respond more quickly and address issues almost as they occur.

Kehoe predicts that partnerships outside the field will bring even more new members to ACA. "The ACA of the future will very likely include an organization with a broader constituency." He suggested that in addition to the greater use of performance-based standards, the accreditation process will become more efficient through the use of technology. "Technology will also play a major role in the delivery of training and technical assistance," Kehoe said. He also pointed out that distance learning and electronic publications could result in cost savings for the association.

Kehoe mentioned some of the new ACA committees that have been formed, including the Correctional Intelligence Task Force, the Female Offender Task Force, the Correctional Collaboration Committee and the rejuvenated Probation Committee. In addition, a Parole, Conditional Release and Aftercare Committee has been formed and the Community Corrections Committee has been combined into one group instead of two.

In a time when the public expects agencies to work together, "we must set aside our differences and dedicate ourselves to the motto, 'United we stand,'" Kehoe said. "ACA is a big tent and there is room for many ideas. Respect for one another - whether you represent a public or private agency, or management or labor, or another professional association - should be the common link that holds us together."

Kehoe noted that the current economic picture is not likely to change in the near future. Corrections is on the edge of a shortage of qualified employees, he said, particularly due to the increase of baby boomer retirements. He pointed out that the last organization to look at work force issues was the Joint Commission on Correctional Manpower and Training in 1969. Its report addressed what needed to be done to make corrections a more attractive career and to retain its work force. "The time is now for ACA to develop a strategic response to the serious challenges that are ahead for the correctional work force," Kehoe said before announcing that the Bureau of Justice Statistics has awarded ACA a $250,000 grant. "The goal of the project is to build a strategic work force plan for the adult and juvenile correctional and detention agencies in the United States," he noted. This also will help the Association develop a plan for the future. In closing, Kehoe thanked ACA leadership, staff and volunteers and noted, "We have our work cut out for us for the next several months."

Annual Winter Conference Luncheon, Jan. 14, 2003

Bob Danzig, the 20-year CEO of Hearst Newspapers and highly respected executive, was the keynote speaker at the Winter Conference Annual Luncheon. He began his speech with the words, "You are worthwhile," and suggested that everyone in the audience shares common powers in the community of the corrections profession.

Three things Danzig noted that everyone shares are talent, readers/viewers and leaders. "Talent creates everything we have," he said. Corrections readers/viewers are not only the clients inside the walls but those outside as well. "You give those of us on the outside stability, safety and a noble purpose," Danzig noted, adding, "We are living a life of liberty due to your commitment to your profession." Correctional leaders nurture and influence the destiny of the profession.

Danzig told of how he became who he is today by describing his childhood. He spent his entire childhood in the foster care system. When Danzig was 11, a social worker said to him during their first meeting, "Never forget that you are worthwhile." She continued to tell him that every time they met. "It become a tattoo on my spirit," he said. "I never forgot her words and they are still with me today."

At 16, Danzig got a job as an office boy for a local Albany, N.Y., newspaper. Nine other candidates were interviewing for the job. Danzig showed up in a hat because a friend had told him that it would make him look older. He remembers the office manager approaching him and asking why he had it on. He told her and she said that he should take his hat off when he was indoors. Then she gave him the job. "She did what you do for people," Danzig said, "she took an interest." After about three months on the job, she said to him, "I believe you are full of promise." Danzig acknowledged, "I never stopped hearing her words." He pointed out that people never know the impact the words they use can have on those they touch.

In the early part of his career, Danzig observed leaders. He noted that some are managers and some are leaders. The difference he said is that managers focus on today, process and the body. Leaders, on the other hand, focus on tomorrow, purpose and the spirit. "Sometimes we don't see the common powers we share as leaders," Danzig said. "Those who choose to lead rather than manage are the forward thinking people in the profession."

After recently visiting a New Jersey prison, Danzig said he learned that corrections helps to get people to look at the different possibilities in life. Lydell Sherrer, a New Jersey DOC administrator, told him, "We [in corrections] are committed to being firm, fair and consistent."

Danzig noted that one of the powers that everyone shares is the power to inspire people to choose light instead of darkness. Another is to respect ourselves as well as the people we are privileged to guide. The final shared power, he added, is the power to listen, understand and encourage. After walking through the exhibit hall, Danzig said it is clear that corrections is full of new ideas. "We on the outside depend on correctional leaders and who you are, and what you do is unique," Danzig said. He noted, "When you have the privilege of leadership, you can reach inside yourself and access those powers, see your own compelling vision, look for tools to guide, generate excitement and really listen." In closing, Danzig told the audience, "You create safety and stability for us and you preserve our liberties. You are worthwhile and you are full of purpose."

Prior to Danzig's address, North Carolina Gov. Michael F. Easley greeted attendees. He noted that when someone is incarcerated, it is likely that he or she will sooner or later re-enter the community. "You help people blend back into society," he said. North Carolina, he added, is trying to put an emphasis on education and to reduce class sizes for children in kindergarten through third grade. "Education is really the key," Easley said. He pointed out that for every dollar that is spent on early education programs, $7 is saved in the criminal justice system during a child's lifetime. "We have to have our priorities in order and I want you to keep fighting for that," said Easley, adding, "Thank you for what you do."

Closing Breakfast, Jan. 15, 2003

Motivational speaker Michael Broome provided some inspirational words to live by during the Closing Breakfast, Wednesday, Jan. 15.

The key to maintaining good mental health, offered Broome, is learning how to manage stress and maximize relationships, both private and professional.

More than 150 years ago, philosopher Ralph Waldo Emerson said, "Good mental health results in the ability to see good in bad situations," Broome noted. "Look for the best in the hand that we are dealt," he added. He went on to say that many people are in mental health facilities not because there is anything physically wrong with their brains, but because they have simply "lost control of their thoughts."

However, people cannot be blindly optimistic because life can be tough at times. "Life doesn't always turn out the way we want it to," said Broome. "It can be tough and difficult at times."

To illustrate his point, Broome described the devastation he and his wife felt when they were told several years ago that they could not have children. After receiving the bad news, they went on to adopt three children they love dearly. Although they initially thought it was a curse, they now consider their fertility problems a blessing. "More than anything else in life, our attitude is a result of what we value and the result of what we love," he said. "One thing we should all value, especially in difficult times, is a sense of humor."

Broome stressed the importance of a sense of humor and being able to laugh at yourself. He said that Adolf Hitler was funny, entertaining and the "real life of the party," however, the humor was never directed at himself - he was incapable of laughing at himself. Abraham Lincoln, on the other hand, loved to poke fun at himself. According to Broome, during a political debate with Stephen Douglas, Douglas called Lincoln a "two-faced politician." In response Lincoln said, "If I had two faces, why would I wear this one?" Broome continued that the No. 1 thing that top Fortune 500 CEOs have in common is a sense of humor, which helps them deal with the frustrating situations they face on a daily basis.

Inside each person, Broome said, there is a red dog and a white dog. The red dog represents hate, anger, stress, jealous and all other negative emotions and thoughts. The white dog represents love, laughter, hope, faith and all other positive emotions and thoughts. "When we think negative thoughts, we feed the red dog. When we think positive thoughts, we feed the white dog," he said. And these dogs, Broome said, fight all day long. The winner of this struggle is determined by which dog we feed and which dog we starve.

Today, Broome conceded, it is difficult to maintain a positive attitude toward the world, especially with all the negativity coming from television news. "But isn't it amazing with all the things supposedly harming us, people are living longer than they have ever lived before?" he asked. Many times, people say they would like to go back to the good ol' days because of all the negativism. "I don't know when the good ol' days were," he said. Eighty percent of the people who landed at Jamestown and Plymouth Rock were dead within two years after arriving; in 1776, the average American died by age 35, said Broome. He continued that people today say it is a dangerous world to be raising children in, however, 100 years ago, children died all the time from diseases that are not even thought about anymore. Then there was World War I in 1917, the Depression in the 1930s, World War II in the 1940s, the Korean War in the 1950s, the Vietnam War in the 1960s, etc. "My point is this: We've always had problems and we're always going to have problems. I think the problems we have today, even the terrorism threat, pale in comparison to those we've overcome in the past," he said.

Moving forward into the new millennium, Broome said there are going to be two types of people like there have always been: "those who get mired down in the pessimism of the age and choose to feed the red dog and those who look toward the future with hope and confidence and choose to feed the white dog." In addition, Broome said, it is important to be wary of the people with whom we associate because we are highly influenced by others' attitudes, perspectives and beliefs.

Besides taking a more positive approach to life, Broome said doing positive things for other people promotes good mental health. "You want a simple solution to overcome anxiety, depression and stress in your life? ... Do something for somebody else. And if we really want to feel good, do something for somebody else but do it anonymously," he said.

Another area that may affect people's outlook on life is the role they play in society. One question with which people have difficulty, Broome said, is "Does what I do really make much of a difference?" He said, "Unfortunately, what many people do doesn't make that much of a difference, especially in the lives of other folks. But what you do, the profession that you've committed yourselves to, makes an incredible difference in the security of this nation. ... it keeps our nation strong."

Corrections professionals are protecting society from the individuals who have, in essence, declared war on society, said Broome. And for those who have simply made mistakes, he added, corrections professionals exercise grace in trying to turn those individuals around. "But for that to happen, you have to work together and support one another," he maintained. "Each one of us can more readily accomplish our objectives and goals if we help those around us accomplish theirs."

Broome stressed the importance of working together with a story about Alexander the Great. At one time, Alexander the Great stood before an army. Facing his army was an army three times its size. Without saying a word, he picked up a stick and broke it. He put two sticks together and broke them, took three and broke them. Then Alexander the Great put a bundle of sticks together to show that they would not break. "Together they would stand, but divided they would fall," Broome said. The same lesson holds true at this gathering of corrections professionals, he said. "That's why you come together in an association like this, to share ideas, to teach, to encourage, to tell one another what's working, what's not working, the solutions to the challenges that you face," he said. "The more you share that information and encourage one another, the more you help to ensure everyone's success as well as your own."

Winter Conference Workshops

During ACA's 2003 Winter Conference, nearly 60 workshops were presented on various topics in the corrections field. Following are summaries of a few of them.

ACA Launches Work Force Initiative

In an effort to address the looming work force shortage facing corrections, the ACA kicked off its Strategic 21st Century Workforce Plan during the "Corrections Workforce 2020" workshop. At that time, the presenters provided preliminary data and gathered input from attendees.

The project goal, explained presenters Edward D. Barlow Jr., president of Creating the Future Inc. in St. Joseph, Mich., and Richard W. Judy, chairman of Workforce Associates Inc. in Indianapolis, is to build a strategic work force plan for adult and juvenile correctional agencies that addresses the critical issues related to supply and demand, recruitment and retention. It will focus on correctional officers, top-level administrators and possibly other categories of professional staff, at the federal and state levels, as well as some of the larger metropolitan areas such as New York City and Los Angeles. "We intend for this to be an inclusive process. It can't be done without collaboration with people in the field," said Judy. "We need to understand the perception of the issues out there as you and your colleagues perceive them."

The project has three specific phases: discovery, creation and implementation. During the discovery phase, information will be gathered and then presented at ACA's Congress of Correction in August. The creation phase includes solution development, followed by the implementation phase next year.

During the analysis, Judy will be looking at the demand side: What other fields are tapping into the same pool of workers as corrections, as well as what is driving change in the field, such as creation of the Transportation Security Administration, which seeks the same type of candidates as corrections. He will also examine the supply side: the nation's changing demographics and what that means for correctional work force pools, recruitment and retention strategies.

Among the initial findings Judy has gathered from sources such as the Corrections Yearbook, the U.S. Census Bureau, the Bureau of Justice Statistics and the Bureau of Labor Statistics: The inmate population is growing, but at a diminishing rate. The justice employment system is growing at all levels, including corrections, judicial and law enforcement. Most of that growth has occurred at the state and local levels.

The projected annual growth in correctional officers is 13,400 per year and the average number of replacements (those who leave the correctional system) is 10,100 for a total of 23,500 job openings per year. However, as Judy pointed out, "those numbers are vastly understating what is going on." What actually occurred in 2001 was that there were 54,000 total job openings, 46,435 arising because people had left the profession due to retirement or resignation. "The official projections are wildly under the mark," he said. "The information public officials have been operating on, in terms of what has been happening out there grossly underestimates what is going on in the field." In terms of the number of correctional officers per 10,000 population, Washington, D.C., has the highest number at 54.4 versus West Virginia, which has 8.5. "The magnitude of the challenge differs greatly among the states and jurisdictions in the country," Judy said.

More than two-thirds of the federal correctional officers are ages 25 to 40. Nearly two-thirds of new correctional officers hired in 2001 were white and 26 percent were black. The Census Bureau projects changes in the 25 to 40-year-old population, in which corrections finds the bulk of its work force. It anticipates that there will be fewer whites and the largest growth during this decade will be in the Hispanic population.

In 2001, one-quarter of the nation's correctional officers left the system. As of Jan. 1, 2000, there were 212,454 correctional officers. During 2001, 53,120 left. Of those, 3.2 percent retired, 3.2 percent did not complete probation and 18.5 percent resigned. "We'll be zeroing in on that pretty aggressively as we move through this project," said Judy.

The ethnic composition of correctional officers varies greatly by region, said Judy. Half of the federal correctional officers have a high school diploma and one-third have a college education. Currently, 72 percent of correctional officers are in the 25 to 40 age group and more than half have a high school education. Sixty-five percent were white, non-Hispanic in 2001, and 61 percent were white, non-Hispanic in 2000. During this decade, the U.S. population ages 25 to 40 is due to shrink by 2 percent. The white, non-Hispanic group is to drop by nearly 10 percent. Also, more than two-thirds of white, non-Hispanics pursue education beyond high school. "The bottom line is that the traditional pools from which corrections has recruited in the past are becoming more shallow, and we have to figure out what we're going to do about it," said Judy, adding that they will be taking a particular look at turnover. Judy also said there is a tremendous difference in reported turnover rates among the states - from 5 percent in New York to 40 percent in Louisiana. However, states compute the turnover rates differently, Judy said.

Following the presentation, Barlow asked participants to fill out a questionnaire that will be used as part of the discovery phase. During the Congress of Correction, there will be a major session addressing the work force initiative followed by four workshops that will focus on dissemination of information to legislators and the community, organizing the information in an easy-to-understand format and applying strategies to institutions, raising overall professional awareness of the importance of the profession and discussing what will be required to raise and maintain morale. The hope is to create an electronic form of the findings and the implementation procedures so that it is part of an ongoing discussion. "We can't look at this as an event because it will be with us for the next 10 to 15 years," said Barlow. To contribute your experiences and ideas to this initiative, contact Judy at Ewf21@workforceassociates.com or (317)-841-0133.

Reaching Inmates Through Art

More and more correctional facilities are discovering that art programs are low-cost initiatives that produce numerous benefits to both inmates and staff. The simple act of providing inmates with a small pencil and several sheets of paper can help them cope with their incarceration and reduce their stress.

During the workshop, "Inmate Management Through the Arts," moderator Kay Wood Bailey, secretary of the International Correctional Arts Network (I-CAN), Sister Margaret Graziano, president of I-CAN and art counselor for Lane County Adult Corrections in Eugene, Ore., and Fay Lassiter, assistant chief of program services for the North Carolina Division of Prisons in Raleigh, discussed their experiences of bringing art to inmates.

In North Carolina, art programs from drawing and painting to creative writing and drama are available in every juvenile and adult correctional facility, benefiting both inmates and staff. "It lets [inmates] burn off hostility and anger," said Lassiter, adding that often, inmates discover a talent they were not aware they had.

To motivate the inmates and promote a healthy competition among them, the DOC hosts an inmate art show. Inmates at each facility contribute their artwork to the exhibit and compete for small monetary prizes. The art is collected by the host facility, framed by the inmates at the host facility and displayed in the local mall for a week. Art professors from the state universities judge the event, which is well-attended by the community. After the exhibit, the art is displayed in the prison administration building.

Additionally, the DOC sponsors a creative writing contest and publishes a book of all the winning entries. "That makes a lot of inmates really proud," said Lassiter. "Arts work for inmates. It helps us to manage them and that is not to be disputed," she concluded.

Graziano, who began teaching art to inmates after visiting a female dorm in an Oregon correctional facility, agreed. At that time, when she was deciding if she wanted to become a volunteer, she asked the women what type of programs they would be interested in, and one responded, "anything to relieve our boredom."

Graziano worked with the female inmates until the men heard about the program and said they wanted to participate in an art program too. During her time teaching the male inmates, Graziano has been amazed by the talent they have displayed. "Everyone is an artist and if you can tap that within them ... it will come out," she said. Some emulate other artists and many learn from one another. As a way to preserve their art, Graziano has taken the best pieces and created an annual calendar, postcards and notecards. "Art provides positive, meaningful growth for the incarcerated," she said.

Gangs and Religion: A Potential Connection

Although religion is a positive aspect of offender programming in a correctional setting, it can be misused in ways that threaten the security and safety of staff and inmates. In the workshop, "Gangs and Religion," moderated by Edward L. Cohn, executive director of the National Major Gang Task Force in Indianapolis, attendees learned about programmatic and security issues related to the growing diversity of religious practice and how collaboration between chaplains and security threat group (STG) coordinators can help prevent and solve problems. Speakers included the Rev. Doris Woodruff-Filbey, director of religious services and community involvement for the Indiana DOC, and Lina Presley, director of operational support services for the Indiana DOC, who both stressed the need for this type of partnership.

Woodruff-Filbey noted that it is essential for STG staff to know about religious practices because of the increase in religious pluralism and the potential for misuse of religious services and programs. Religion could be a clue in STG involvement. Additionally, the religious rights of offenders must be maintained. Presley pointed out that she has seen some inmates switching religions depending on where and when they could meet. "The observation and supervision of religious services is very important," Presley said. Woodruff-Filbey added that the object is to monitor services but not to disturb.

From a legal or law enforcement perspective, Woodruff-Filbey said it is important to remain objective, set aside personal judgment, examine whether a practice is harmful and ensure that religious practices are not being restricted. Thus, she pointed out that religious freedom means "having the right to accept, reject or change one's beliefs and having the ability to worship and live in accordance with beliefs without external constraint or coercion." In a prison setting, however, this cannot threaten safe operations.

The speakers also discussed the difference between normative and deviant religions. They defined normative as "religious practices considered 'normal' by the predominant society or culture in which they are practiced." Deviant religions, on the other hand, "differ from religious practices considered 'normal' by the predominant society or culture in which they are practiced." For example, Woodruff-Filbey said that in Indiana, Native American religious practices would be considered deviant, but in Colorado, they would be considered normative. Several different deviant and unfamiliar religions, along with their signs and symbols, were also discussed. The potential for misuse of religious practices in prison is high. There is motivation for misuse because it gives inmates a chance to meet and do what they want to do. According to Woodruff-Filbey and Presley, the key to preventing misuse is carefully training and constantly educating staff about different religions, establishing standards for forming new groups, monitoring visitors, checking for legitimate credentials for religious advisers, looking at the personal backgrounds of offenders in a group, including outside volunteers, monitoring religious programs and services and incoming literature, reporting suspicious behavior and communication, and being mindful of religious freedom.

In closing, Woodruff-Filbey noted the importance of religion in correctional settings. "It is a fact that religion leads to better conduct and helps to reduce recidivism, but we need to be aware that it can also be misused."

Typology of Sex Offenders

In the workshop, "Typology of Sex Offenders: Implications for Management and Treatment," moderator Ben Wheat, chief of behavioral sciences programs for the Federal Bureau of Prisons' Correctional Programs Division, began by introducing three speakers who would discuss the management and treatment of male, female and juvenile sex offenders: Andres E. Hernandez, director, and Donna L. Moore, staff psychologist of the Sex Offender Treatment Program for the Federal Correctional Institution in Butner, N.C., and Vicki MacIntyre Agee, director of clinical services for Twin Cedars Youth Services Inc. in LaGrange, Ga.

Hernandez gave an overview of the typology of male sex offenders and management and treatment strategies in a prison setting. He identified male sex offenders as rapists, child molesters and non-contact sex offenders. Rapists, according to Hernandez, generally fall into one of four groups: opportunistic, pervasively angry, sexual or vindictive. Child molesters can be opportunistic, exhibiting latent pedophilia and experiencing guilt and prolonged stress. Others are collectors of pornographic material, experiencing no guilt. Some are molester collectors who use child pornography as a substitute for real children or to groom victims. They tend to be completely immersed in a pedophilic lifestyle. A producer-profiteer is criminally minded, out to make a profit and recruits children to be "actors." Psychopathic child molesters tend to be bored thrill-seekers who are angry and vindictive. Hypersexual individuals think sexual thoughts the majority of the time. And courtship-disordered molesters may focus on a specific target or attach to an indiscriminate target.

Hernandez also briefly described SOMP, BOP's newly approved model of effective sex offender management in prison. It seeks to target highly sexually predatory offenders in a controlled setting, educate offenders and implement community release planning and risk assessment. "While not all sex offenders can be treated or cured, all can be managed and contained in prison and upon re-entry," Hernandez said. "Effective management and treatment reduces recidivism."

Moore discussed various characteristics of female sex offenders. She noted that viewing females as perpetrators challenges traditional cultural stereotypes. Females, Moore said, are usually thought of as mothers or caretakers, not as people who abuse and harm others. She said that about 15 percent of reported victims are abused by women. "Young children are most at risk," Moore said. Citing research, she pointed out that many of these women are predisposed, male-coerced or abuse their role or position.

According to Moore, a predisposed female offender is similar to a pedophile. She often has sexually deviant fantasies when angry, fears relationships with males, exhibits addictive behaviors, has an abusive history, may abuse her own children and may have severe emotional problems. Male-coerced offenders tend to be highly dependent, have lower intellectual functioning than normal, be involved in abusive relationships with male partners, and may participate in sexual assault of adult women, have a chemical or substance abuse dependency, and/or have a history of abuse outside the family. An offender who abuses her position or role often sees herself in a romantic relationship, denies the abusive nature of a relationship and sees her victims as equally responsible. "This is the most difficult group to treat because they don't see that they have done anything wrong," Moore said.

Moore suggested that when treating juvenile sex offenders, a facility should separate them from other offenders, use well-trained staff and have a good surveillance system to monitor them at all times. It also is important to include anger management, victim empathy, pro-social skills training and dealing with personal victimization.

Drug Courts Make a Difference

Although there are no long-term studies on the recidivism rates of drug court participants, preliminary data show that blending drug treatment with the criminal justice system has affected some positive results. During the workshop, "Drug and Mental Health Courts - Working With Corrections," Mack Jenkins, division director of adult court services for the Orange County Probation Department in Santa Ana, Calif., discussed the definition of a drug court, the different drug court models that have been implemented and some of the early results of this treatment program.

Drug courts are those that are given the responsibility of supervising drug offenders placed in an intensive, closely monitored treatment program. The first drug court was created in 1989 in Miami. Today, approximately 1,200 drug courts are operating in the United States or are in the planning stages. Drug courts vary from jurisdiction to jurisdiction. Some are for first-time offenders, while others are for repeat offenders. Before a jurisdiction creates a drug court, it must first clearly define its target population and structure the program to that population, said Jenkins.

Drug courts have teams that collaborate on how to handle each offender. The team often includes a treatment provider, defense counsel, prosecutor, coordinator, parole/probation officer, law enforcement officer and judge. Team members have to expand, not change, their role, Jenkins said, explaining that prosecutors and defense attorneys learn to work with each other, and judges share the decision-making and rely on the advice of the experts, etc.

Many drug court programs are 16 to 18 months in length. "The longer the treatment, the more successful," said Jenkins. "The key is for the jurisdiction to tailor programs to the population it wants to serve."

Jenkins said the available data on drug courts suggest they are working. In Virginia's 23rd Judicial Circuit Court, the reconviction rate was 3.2 percent for drug court graduates versus 45.5 percent for nongraduates. In Los Angeles, the rearrest rate of drug court participants was 24 percent versus 37 percent for nonparticipants. In Jefferson County, Ky., the felony reconviction rate was 13 percent for drug court graduates compared with 60 percent for nongraduates. In Portland, Ore., the rearrest rate was 37 percent for participants versus 53 percent for nonparticipants. In Orange County, Fla., the rearrest rate was 17 percent participants compared with 35 percent for nonparticipants.

Developing and Implementing Emergency Response Teams

Preparing to respond to emergency situations is critical for all correctional facilities. In the workshop, "Developing and Implementing Emergency Response Teams," moderated by Darryl Harrison, chief of staff for the New York City DOC, attendees learned how two different correctional agencies have developed and maintained successful emergency response teams.

Timothy P. Reilly, executive officer of the New York City DOC's Emergency Response Unit and Odell H. Wood III, special response team coordinator for the Ohio Department of Rehabilitation and Correction, shared their experiences in the area of emergency response.

The New York City DOC started its unit in 1976 as a response to increased violence. It consisted of two permanent staff and 100 officers who were taken out of the jails on an as-needed basis. Members were trained quarterly on inmate transport and specialized weapons use. New York City's jurisdiction includes Manhattan, Brooklyn, the Bronx, Queens and Staten Island. The department houses about 15,000 inmates and most are detained on Riker's Island, which is made up of 10 jails, with 1,500 to 2,500 inmates per jail.

In 1987, the unit was reorganized as CERT (corrections emergency response team) and then became known as the Emergency Response Unit. It included four supervisors and 150 support team members. Training included tactics, weapons maintenance, vehicle operation and rescue. In 1994, the unit was re-evaluated and was renamed the Emergency Service Unit, whose mission expanded from law enforcement to rescue. Its role was to be proactive, not reactive. It consisted of one executive officer, 13 captains and 96 correctional officers, as well as a support team with 15 captains and 100 correctional officers. New standards for membership included Department of Investigation clearance, medical clearance and successful completion of an intense orientation week.

Reilly noted the effectiveness of the unit. "If you reduce violence, you save money," he said. This happens through arrests, decreased inmate-on-inmate violence and less overtime hours. Assignments within the unit include the Rapid Response Team, which is on-call 24 hours a day, and the High Security Escort Team, which transports inmates to and from court. In addition, the unit includes 15 emergency medical technicians, eight sniper/observers, 50 executive protection officers, six scuba divers and 30 hazardous material technicians. The call-out systems include a group paging system and an emergency mobilization plan. The unit responds to riots and disturbances, escapes, severe weather conditions and citywide emergencies.

On Sept. 11, 2001, Reilly said the department's Emergency Service Unit was one the first agencies to respond and it did not leave until Feb. 4, 2002. Twelve support officers were deployed. At the Staten Island landfill, the unit was essentially the evidence and recovery operation, whose priority was to recover evidence to identify victims. The unit also helped with the aftermath of an airline crash and a scaffolding collapse shortly after Sept. 11. "The unit has been used as a mechanism to reduce violence in jails," Reilly said, noting that it evolved from a reactionary tool into a proactive management tool.

Wood continued the workshop by discussing the evolution of Ohio's special response teams since he joined the DRC in 1986. Unlike New York, Ohio does not have full-time staff. There are 33 institutions and each has its own team.

In 1986, Wood said, the only equipment issued to members was a nightstick and helmet. Membership was voluntary and each team used different tactics. There also was not a mandatory numbers of members per team and only four hours per month of training on the weekends was required. In 1993, when the riot occurred at the Southern Ohio Correctional Facility in Lucasville, more than 2,000 team members responded. Reilly said this is when the realization was made that team members needed to be more uniform.

So, in 1994, the STAR (special tactics and response) team was formed. This is a regional team that includes individuals from each facility. Odell, the STAR team commander, oversees training for all members. Now there are mandated uniforms and equipment so that everyone is on the same page. Membership is open to those who have one year of service with the department and who are not on probation. Reilly sets tactics procedures and lesson plans so that everyone responds in the same way. There are 36 members comprising three separate squads - two for disturbance control and one for tactics. Training also has increased. Members of the disturbance control squad are required to train for four hours per month; the tactics squad, for eight hours per month; and snipers, 20 rounds per month.

In 1999, additional training was added, including: the Special Response Team Basic Course, Special Response Team Advanced Course, Special Response Team Leadership Course and Special Response Team Instructor's Course. Then, in 2001, the Special Response Team began training with the Tactical Riflemen Team and the Regional Hostage Negotiation Team. "Training together builds confidence," Reilly noted, adding, "Bringing them together is a good thing because working together is very important." Finally, he pointed out that needs assessment is necessary each year to evaluate a program and make necessary adjustments.

Mothers and Babies in Correctional Facilities

In the workshop, "Mothers and Babies in Correctional Facilities," moderated by Elaine Lord, chair of ACA's Female Offender Task Force and superintendent of the Bedford Hills Correctional Facility in New York, three speakers shared their experiences in developing and running nursery programs in correctional facilities.

Sandra D. Langston, deputy warden of a female jail on Rikers Island in New York City, pointed out that it was the law in New York that helped to establish nursery programs for female inmates. According to Langston, the law stated, "Wardens may establish nursery programs for women who have given birth while incarcerated or who were nursing an infant under 1 year of age at the time of her incarceration."

The nursery at Rikers Island opened in 1985. Babies stay with their mothers until they are 1. The capacity is 15 mothers and their babies, and each mother must submit an application for acceptance into the program. Offenders cannot be currently charged with: murder (exceptions for some domestic violence cases), arson, assault with intent to cause physical injury, sodomy, sexual abuse, endangered welfare of a minor, controlled substance on school property (a few exceptions) robbery (first- or second-degree) or weapons possession (first-, second- or third-degree). They also cannot have a violent incarceration history or any security issues. Their medical and mental health history is reviewed as well as Administration for Children's Services reports.

Staffing consists of a nursery program director, usually a nurse practitioner or registered nurse, a licensed practical nurse, a correctional officer, volunteers, and a pediatrician or family medical practitioner. Caregivers also are involved in the program. They are trained babysitters who must meet the same criteria as program applicants. "These women are critical because they take care of the babies while the moms are at court, at medical exams or participating in other services outside the nursery," Langston said. They also provide 24-hour care to women who are recovering from a Caesarean section.

Langston noted that there are several program components including support, parenting skills training, pre- and postnatal counseling, domestic violence and substance abuse counseling, homemaker skills, responsibility, discharge planning, well-baby care and legal assistance. Another major aspect is preparing mothers for separation from their children. This begins during the ninth month. Mental health and religious staff work with mothers to prepare them to return to the general population and their babies leaving the nursery. "Usually, a family member or friends receives temporary custody of the child until the mother's release," Langston said. Otherwise, they enter a foster care program.

Visitation programs also have been put in place. On Tuesdays, the Administration for Child Services visits with children of incarcerated mothers so they can interact with their kids. "Mother-child bonding is essential," said Langston. Additional benefits of the program include behavioral changes in inmate mothers, the opportunity to teach parenting skills to reduce the chances of child abuse, reduction in foster care due to parental incarceration and stress reduction for female offenders caused by being separated from their children.

Donna Klein-Acosta, former deputy director of the Division of Women and Family Services for the DOC in Dwight, Ill., discussed a community-based nursery program at the Women's Treatment Center in Chicago. "Due to legislative and public support, this was made possible," she said.

Offenders in the program must have two years or less of their sentence remaining so they can live with their children. They must be pregnant or be the primary caregiver of a child under 6. According to Klein-Acosta, 83 percent of the inmates are either unmarried or separated and 64 percent have children.

Program components include teaching parenting skills, independent living skills and conflict resolution. Also instrumental is medical assistance, health and nutritional advice, day care assistance, and legal and legislative aid. The criteria are similar to community work release programs. In other words, the offenders must follow all DOC rules, adhere to daily schedules, be authorized for passes and leaves, and obtain a job. There is on-site daycare and each woman is required to help out in the center. This, notes Klein-Acosta, ensures that they are all doing their share and helping one another. In closing, she said, "This program does make an impact on these moms and their children."

Jenny Waldron, a social worker for the National Resource Center for Children of Prisoners of the Child Welfare League of America, also addressed attendees. She pointed out that since 1991, the number of minor children with a parent in a state or federal prison rose by more than 500,000 - from 936,500 to 1,498,800, in 1999. Additionally, the number of children with a mother in prison has nearly doubled. And among African-American children, approximately 7 percent have a parent in a state or federal prison.

Waldron said that children of incarcerated mothers are usually displaced and six times more likely to end up in the juvenile justice system. She also noted that according to a 2000 Bureau of Justice Statistics special report, Incarcerated Parents and Their Children, 90 percent of men in state prison say their children are with their mothers, while 80 percent of mothers in prison say their children are with family or friends, not their fathers. The percentages are similar for children of federal inmates.

According to Waldron, risk factors for children before and during incarceration include poverty, alcohol and other drug abuse, crime, intrafamilial violence, child maltreatment, previous separations and parental histories of abuse. In closing, Waldron reminded attendees that many female offenders are reunited with their children after release. "We need to try to teach them how to become better parents beforehand," she said. Lord concluded the session by saying, "These families are at risk and we can make a difference."

Silent Auction

For the fifth time, ACA members, leaders and staff generously supported a silent auction to benefit Habitat for Humanity, a nonprofit housing organization that seeks to eliminate poverty housing and homelessness worldwide. The auction, which was held at the Winter Conference in Charlotte, N.C., raised more than $4,900. Special thanks to the North Carolina Correctional Association for its assistance and donations.

The auction began Saturday, Jan. 11, and ended Tuesday afternoon, Jan. 14. Participants were able to place bids on a variety of items, including: pottery (vases, bowls, platters), lighthouses, wooden bowls, a wood toy chest with cartoon characters, a mantle clock, a cedar hope chest, deck chairs, lamps, a laptop computer, an Ohio State football signed by Coach Jim Tressel, baskets donated by state chapters and quilts. There were 215 bidders and more than 175 items up for auction, donated by various ACA chapters members, agencies, correctional facilities and companies.

Congratulations to the winning bidders and thanks to all who donated items. Be sure to check out the next silent auction to be held at the 133rd Congress of Correction in Nashville, Tenn. To donate items or for more information, please contact Joey Weedon at 1-800-222-5646, ext. 1885.

ACA Winter Conference Awards

Two awards were presented during the Opening Session: the Martin Luther King Jr. Scholarship Award and the Medal of Valor Award. Margaret Henderson, assistant social worker supervisor for the New Jersey DOC, received the Martin Luther King Jr. Scholarship Award. Henderson, a single mother, student and full-time supervisor, graciously accepted the award. "What a beautiful opportunity to be the recipient of this prestigious award," she said. "I am awestruck that I am here today." In the spirit of King, Henderson said, "If I can help someone, then my life cannot be in vain."