• Opening Session
• Annual Luncheon Keynote Address
• Workshop Coverage
• Satellite Internet Broadcast Addresses Prison Rape
• First Correctional Roundtable Chat Room Is a Success
• Student Poster Winners

Greetings from Phoenix

If you were unable to join us in the "Valley of the Sun" for the American Correctional Association’s 2005 Winter Conference, here’s a glimpse of a few of the conference activities that took place.

Kerik Emphasizes the Importance of Corrections' Protective Role for the Country

Bernard B. Kerik, former New York City police commissioner, illustrated during his Opening Session keynote speech yesterday, how the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks on the United States and the subsequent war on terror signal the fact that America must focus on emergency preparedness by communicating, participating and coordinating with others in an attempt to protect the nation from other similar attacks. More specifically, Kerik emphasized that “there are still enemies out there,” and highlighted corrections’ key role in protecting the country and contributing to the fight against terror.

On the morning of Sept. 11, Kerik was in his office when the first airplane hit Tower 1 of the World Trade Center, he said. By the time the second plane hit Tower 2, Kerik was standing at the base of the first tower. Needless to say, Kerik felt and saw the effects of this attack up close and was a significant factor in the rebuilding of the city. “Because of that flag, because of the principles of freedom that that flag represents, because of our economic freedoms, our religious freedoms, our support of women and human rights — That’s why we were attacked,” Kerik said. “Where were we on the morning of Sept. 11?” Kerik asked. “We weren’t in Iraq, we weren’t in Afghanistan. We didn’t even have a ... footing in this war against terror. We were doing nothing and suffered the most substantial attack in our country’s history. Doing nothing will kill us. We’ve got to fight this war to fight crime.”

And according to Kerik, the war on terror has succeeded abroad — in Afghanistan, Iraq and elsewhere — during the past three years as a result of intelligence gathering and intelligence sharing among the military and other U.S. agencies. But, he added, this intelligence, this communication must be done here in the United States to continue protecting the nation during this battle against terrorists. “Intelligence — that’s the key to the success of this battle. We have to do that in this country,” Kerik said. He went on to explain corrections’ role: “You have to be a part of that because when we take the people off the streets in this country that go to jail, they communicate and they talk, they work with other criminals, organized gangs, organized units. You’ve got to collect that information, you have to get it back to the authorities that need it.”

Kerik explained how within the New York City Department of Correction, an intelligence network was created in 1999 to go after gangs internally. Officials sought information about who and what they are, where they come from, what their motives are and how they operate on the street. With this information, the DOC integrated the intelligence it had gathered with the police department, then did the same thing with the federal government, Kerik illustrated. “We were one system; we were operating as one,” he said. The result was the arrest of nearly 3,000 people who were wanted on warrants. Kerik offered this example to demonstrate how intelligence “is the way of the future in combating terror,” whether it be against gangs threatening neighborhoods or insurgents threatening to attack U.S. soil. “You are a major part of that and I urge everybody in this room ... to urge your agencies to collect intelligence, to analyze it, to look at it and to work with other agencies,” Kerik said. “These are the things that were extremely successful in New York City and I think will be extremely successful around the country.”

Kerik also spoke about his work in Iraq in May 2003 as the interim minister of interior, reconstituting and rebuilding the Ministry of Interior. During his four months in Iraq, Kerik saw how the dictatorship of Saddam Hussein — who Kerik described as an “insane mad man” — affected that nation. Kerik brought back nearly 40,000 Iraqi police, stood up 45 police stations in Baghdad and started rebuilding the infrastructure, and the jails and prisons. “We started to rebuild a country, a country that had been under a dictatorship for 35 years,” Kerik said.

Kerik closed his address by saying how proud he is to have served in public service. He said that in the 24 hours prior to delivering his speech at the Opening Session, nearly 40 to 50 people had approached him to ask, not about his withdrawal from the position of secretary of Homeland Security, but about his decision to have taken a job in public service in the first place. In answering that question for the audience, he said he took a job in public service for reasons “no different than you — because it’s the right thing to do.”

He left the audience with two sayings: Only the strong survive; and good will prevail over evil. “We hear them sometimes as everyday cliches. They’re not,” Kerik said. “You’ve got to be strong. You’ve got to do the job that you were sworn to do and take the challenge. If you’re offered that next position, take the challenge and just do your best. Ignore the critics, ignore the press. ... Good will prevail over evil. You are the good. This country is the good. That’s why we will win this war on terror. ... In every mission that you perform, stay strong. God bless and God bless America. Thank you.”

Also at the Opening Session, ACA President Gwendolyn C. Chunn addressed the audience. Although corrections professionals have to face professional challenges and opportunities, particularly at the beginning of a new year, Chunn stressed the importance of self-assessment. “We all come to this place at the American Correctional Association [conference] to get something that will strengthen us and make us stronger, more effective professionals.” She added that “whatever your reason for being here, we thank you for caring enough about the people whom you serve.”

Chunn encouraged attendees to take full advantage of everything that is offered at this conference. She suggested going to workshops (and to ask questions and make comments during them), sitting in on committee meetings, talking to vendors and other attendees, and touring programs and facilities. “In a word, we need you to participate,” Chunn said. “When you participate here, you can return with a better spirit to motivate those with whom you work.”

She noted that it does not matter what one’s job classification is; what matters is a commitment and willingness to engage. In the face of decreased budgets, most correctional agencies face tremendous challenges. Thus, it is critical, according to Chunn, to rethink priorities in correctional practices. Chunn also mentioned the importance of ACA’s correctional work force project. “We must begin to prepare now for certain changes that are imminent,” she said. For example, low pay, high turnover and difficult economic times will require corrections professionals to explore new staff recruitment and retention strategies.

Chunn also discussed disproportionate minority confinement. She noted the lack of dramatic gains in this area. Although corrections does not choose who comes into its facilities, the field must discuss the effect it has on correctional operations so the larger criminal justice system does not remain unresponsive. “In other words, we will get no relief if we do nothing,” Chunn said. “When we see a pattern, we have an ethical, moral and professional responsibility to inform jurisdictions of that pattern and to call to their attention a need to intervene at an earlier point.” Chunn noted that ACA is partnering with the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People to address this issue and implement a prevention program on the local level to teach minorities how to help ensure that their children do not end up in the juvenile justice system. Additionally, the National Association of Blacks in Criminal Justice has also partnered in this initiative.

Finally, Chunn said corrections needs to form new relationships and form alliances with organizations that have goals and concerns that are compatible. “Remember, we need you at your best if we are to maintain quality correctional systems.”

An award was also presented at the end of the session. Evelyn Dixon, a correctional case manager with the Mississippi Department of Corrections, received ACA’s Martin Luther King Jr. Scholarship Award. Dixon is a student at Jackson State University and is seeking a bachelor’s degree in criminal justice and correctional services. As a case manager, she helps inmates obtain employment, education and treatment. In accepting the award, Dixon acknowledged that working full time, raising children and pursuing an education is not easy, but that it is well worth it. “Thank you. I’m very appreciative to the election committee for bestowing me with such a great honor and I also thank the American Correctional Association for making this award possible,” Dixon said. In addition, she thanked the leadership of the Mississippi DOC for its guidance and encouragement to apply for this award, as well as her family members for their support.

Annual Luncheon Keynote Address

Gen. Anthony Zinni Urges Annual Luncheon Attendees to Think Globally

At yesterday’s 2005 Winter Conference Annual Luncheon, former U.S. Marine Corps commander in chief, U.S. Central Command, Gen. Anthony Zinni gave the keynote address. Zinni has held numerous command and staff assignments that include platoon, company, battalion, regimental, Marine expeditionary unit and Marine expeditionary force command.

Zinni told attendees that he is impressed with ACA’s mission and the corrections field. “I’m impressed with what you see as your responsibility, that it’s not only the protection of society, not only the administration of justice, it’s the respect and dignity of the individual.” He noted that ACA looks to the future, much like he believes we as a country need to do.

“We have a very different world out there now,” Zinni said, compared to previous decades. He said that he is a product of a system that was created, shaped and born at the end of World War II. “All of us in the room are products of that. It was the greatest moment in our history.” Zinni said that the United States was attacked and fought until unconditional surrender, which is what he believes the country needs to do in the war on terror. He pointed out that we as a nation helped to rebuild the countries of those we had defeated by bringing them democracies and free market economies. “We helped stabilize parts of the world that had been warring and fighting for centuries,” Zinni said.

The United States was able to stand up to communism and be a model for the rest of the world. He told attendees that he was there when the Berlin Wall came down in 1989 and how overwhelming it was. “When we went out and knocked off chips of the wall, I thought, something has changed, something remarkable has changed, and I wondered if we understood this change,” Zinni said. “I wondered if we understood what this meant for the world; I’m convinced now, almost 16 years later, we didn’t understand it at the moment.”

Zinni said that America then expected a new world order. However, Zinni said that did not happen. “The world started to come apart. We had Saddam Hussein, a war in Iraq. We went through the Somalias, the Haitis, the Bosnias, the Kosovos, the East Timors and with the demands placed on us, that new world order certainly wasn’t going to be what we expected.”

When Zinni returned home after many years overseas, he saw more evidence that things had changed. “Our economy was now global,” he said. “Multinational corporations have spread across the world.” Zinni also said that he began to watch technology change as well, particularly information technology.

Zinni expressed the difficulty he has had in understanding the type of war America is now fighting on terrorism. He noted that many religions that have the same foundations have suddenly found themselves at odds and are using religion as the basis for war instead of for understanding and peace. During the past 16 years, Zinni has been in almost every part of the world trying to negotiate peace. He said that sometimes Americans are too critical of themselves and their own leaders. “We say they should have known, they should have seen it coming, they should have had the right policy, they should have taken the right action at the right moment,” Zinni said. Most people, according to Zinni, have no idea how difficult it is to make those critical decisions.

“No matter how bad things look, I am an optimist,” Zinni said, adding, “I think the good will prevail out there.” He noted that people need to look at all of the good that is being done by the United States in other parts of the world, such as saving lives and rebuilding societies. “Our nation goes places and does things that no nation in this world ever could in the history of the world.” Zinni acknowledged that the United States does some things well and others not so well, but that the country does get a lot of credit for trying.

How do people view the United States? According to Zinni, many in the Arab world think very highly of American people, education, freedoms and values, although they do not agree with U.S. policy at times. “I think people see out there the best of America with the tsunami relief and with our soldiers out there,” Zinni said. “Certainly things happen that are bad and set us back, but the overall good prevails.”

Zinni noted that immediately following Sept. 11, 2001, he received numerous e-mails and phone calls from his Arab friends. He particularly remembers a call from a friend who said, “I am afraid that because of this, America will stop being America. What we cannot have happen in the world is that you change, that your goodness changes,” adding, “You still have to keep being America. Everything you stand for and your values, you’ve got to stay with them. Don’t let the fear, the confusion and the anger change that. You will do what you have to do and you will defeat this enemy, but don’t change being good.” Zinni said that although America sometimes does not do a good job in communicating the message that it is doing good or making sure U.S. policies work and everybody else understands them, it is nowhere near ready to stop being good.

Zinni urged the audience to step back and look at the good amidst the chaos and confusion. He noted the recent elections in Palestine and Indonesia and the upcoming election in Iraq. “These are countries and places where there weren’t supposed to be elections, where people had written them off,” Zinni said. “There are positive signs that people care and want to change their lives and there is a role we can play in helping to make that happen.”

“We are the most powerful thing this earth has ever seen,” Zinni said. This power, according to Zinni, is not just because the United States has the strongest military or economy. “It is powerful because we have a set of values and principles we believe in.”

Zinni said that he is proud of what America did after the second world war. “Leaders decided that they would help change the world. They showed that although we are safe between two oceans, America can reach out and make a difference.” He said that America needs to focus on the same kinds of things it is doing now through the disaster relief in Southeast Asia. “We will get through this. ... We will figure this out. We won’t be perfect, but we have to stick to our principles. ... In my mind, that is the key.”

Finally, Zinni took questions from the audience. On the subject of torturing political prisoners, Zinni said that it has never worked and that the Marine Corps instilled in him the idea that taking someone’s hope away, will not accomplish anything. Conversely, by treating individuals humanely and giving them some hope, they will often cooperate. “The challenge as a leader on the battlefield is to make sure that young men and women experiencing horrors they never imagined or prepared for in their 18th, 19th and 20th year of life, don’t take over. You must ensure they keep an eye on what’s important,” Zinni said. Thus, torture is never acceptable.

In closing, Zinni challenged the next generation of Americans to understand the world better. “Every culture is a filter and the way you see the world around you, your environment and the way you see things day to day come through that filter.” According to Zinni, in a world where everyone is so connected, it is incumbent upon society to understand why people do not always receive Americans the way they want to be received, as moral and just, or why others see things differently than Americans do. Americans must be open. Things that work well in one culture might not work well in another due to the cultural filter. “We are naive to think that there is only one way to look at things. It doesn’t mean we are wrong or they’re wrong; it just means there are two different ways to look at it,” Zinni said. Clearly, the greatest demand for future will be communicating across cultures.

Also at the luncheon, ACA’s Peter P. Lejins Research Award was presented to Joan Petersilia, Ph.D., professor of criminology, law and society at the University of California-Irvine, for her numerous contributions to the field of correctional research. “It’s my honor to accept this award,” Petersilia said. “I am particularly gratified that it comes from ACA, whose members I have admired not only for their intellectual leadership but their compassion around the issues that I care most about.” She said that it was also gratifying because she knew Peter Lejins and respected him as a leader, a colleague and a friend. “Again, I’m honored to accept this award, and I appreciate you bestowing it upon me.”

Workshop Coverage

Intensive Medical Management

While an inmate may seem dangerous enough to constitute physical restraint, the real danger may lie in the implementation of such serious actions. Todd Wilcox, medical director of Salt Lake County Metro Jail, led the workshop, “Intensive Medical Management: How to Handle Prisoners Who Self-Mutilate, Slime, Starve, Spit and Scratch,” which explored various aspects of this important correctional issue.

Intensive medical management was defined as using physical restraints, forced medications or involuntary seclusion on inmates. In order to illuminate how grave the situation could be, Wilcox began with an example of restraint that went terribly wrong. An inmate, hiding under a blanket and refusing to show skin for a head count was placed in a restraining chair. The inmate was held for 16 hours and subsequently died of a health-related illness after he was placed in the shower to wash off. The results for the facility were devastating. The incident received national coverage through several media outlets, with the details of the tragedy placed on center stage. The executive director resigned, the medical director was put on trial and a costly lawsuit ensued.

Wilcox continued the workshop, highlighting numerous ways in which correctional facilities should act to avoid expensive litigation and loss of life. For example, in order to implement intensive medical management, it should first be ordered by a physician or licensed independent practitioner. Other requirements called for no unusual restraining positions such as “hog tying.”

Aside from rational and logical decisions regarding intensive medical management, Wilcox stressed the need to adhere to community standards. The Health Care Financing Administration released guidelines in September 1999 that have been adopted by most hospitals in the country. These guidelines specifically outline how intensive medical management patients must be handled. For example, any inmates placed in restraints, seclusion or administered forced medication must be evaluated face to face within one hour by the treating physician. Also, the nursing staff must see the patient every two hours, and seclusion and restraint cannot be used simultaneously unless the inmate is continuously monitored by a nurse.

Other important considerations offered were appropriately documenting the treatment administered, with a heavy emphasis on matching medical personnel logs with correctional personnel logs. This can help facilities immensely in the face of a lawsuit. Also, the implementation of cascading techniques aimed at eluding the use of restraints, such as calming the inmate verbally or having him or her self-administer medication.

Wilcox concluded the workshop with advice on putting success in perspective. With the use of alternative techniques, violent restraining situations may be avoided, resulting in a reduction of hospital visits for staff and inmates, and an increase in cost savings. Also, properly implementing intensive medical management can help an institution avoid costly litigation that can devastate a facility, said Wilcox.

W hen an emergency calls for the evacuation of a facility, where are the inmates going to go, how are they going to get there, and how are they going to be kept there? These were some of the questions addressed during the “Emergency Evacuation of Correctional Facilities” workshop. Speakers John Garman, warden of St. Brides Correctional Center in Virginia, and David Bass, regional manager of security and training in the Eastern Region Office of the Virginia Department of Corrections, spoke of their evacuation experiences in the midst of natural disasters, including Hurricane Isabel. Throughout the workshop, the speakers emphasized key points such as planning ahead of time and paying close attention to details. Bass explained that the more a facility prepares ahead of time, the less likely it is that it will have a catastrophic situation, which Garman succinctly pointed out, would only take one inmate escaping.

Key aspects of evacuation discussed in the workshop included transporting inmates from one place to the next, where the inmates could be held, supervising the inmates and providing them with basic necessities. Bass and Garman offered a wealth of knowledge and tips that they found extremely useful in those stressful times. “We found that feeding them a meal right before we transport them to where they were going, makes the trip much smoother,” Bass said.

Both speakers reiterated that keeping records of inmates is vital to the success of an evacuation. In order to know where everyone is, Bass and Garman said that data should be kept on which inmates get on what transportation vehicle and where the vehicle is going, and headcounts should be conducted often to ensure inmates are where they are supposed to be. Coordination with a state’s central intelligence and other entities is also pertinent to ensuring the integrity of data, and to help keep track of inmates’ medical and criminal records.

Bass warned that officials must be able to adapt to situations. “No matter how well you plan, there will always be something that needs to be changed,” he said. Whether it be planning an alternate route to a destination or having options when it comes to where a facility will move the inmates, the unpredictable nature inherent in emergencies dictates the planning of such alternatives, Bass explained.

Bass also described housing techniques, which center around taking inmates to the nearest correctional facility. Once there, Bass explained that prior arrangements can be made for each inmate to have a mattress, with a large number of mattresses placed in a gymnasium or other places the situation requires.

Various aspects of the evacuation plan were stressed, none more than communication. “The No. 1 problem is lack of quick communication,” Bass said. In order for any plan to actually be effective, the ability to inform all necessary entities must be readily available. While Bass admitted cell phones were expensive, he explained that they were an indispensable tool in such situations.

Garman concluded the workshop by reminding the audience that details were of the utmost importance. By creating checklists and strictly adhering to evacuation plans, officials can minimize undesired incidences and maximize public safety.

The American Correctional Association Correctional Certification Program has been lauded as one of the keys to proving that corrections is indeed a professional field, but still, many corrections personnel are hesitant to take that step to become certified. In the workshop titled “One Small Step for Personnel ... One Giant Leap for Professionalism,” the panelists, who represented three of the four certified corrections professional levels, spoke about the significance of correctional certification and provided assurance to the audience that certification is beneficial both personally and professionally.

During the workshop, Walter Wood, CCE, executive director of the Alabama Department of Youth Services, emphasized how certification represents a program that highlights the corrections field as one that requires certain skill sets, knowledge and experience. “There is a core body of knowledge that you operate from and there are ethical standards and a degree of integrity that’s required of everyone in this room to successfully do your job,” Wood said. “This is not a trade or association; this is a profession.” And in becoming certified, Wood said, individuals illustrate that they possess the necessary skills and understand the importance of their duties as professionals in the field. “We tried to create this mechanism to confirm that yes, this is a profession and that there are certain things that are characterized by the profession,” Wood added.

Julie Boston, CCM, office manager for the ACA Professional Development Department, offered her personal experience in taking the corrections certification examination during her tenure with the Maryland Department of Public Safety and Correctional Services. She provided insight about her initial hesitation to making the commitment to take the exam as an example to the audience that any doubt regarding certification can, and should, be overcome. Boston also shared the fact that she can relate to and empathize with any and all those who question if certification is worth the effort, and encouraged those who are debating whether to go through with certification to contact her (julieb@aca.org; 1-800-222-5646, ext. 1864) to discuss any issues they may have.

Some of the hesitations that corrections personnel may have about the certification process is the cost, difficulty of the exam and the necessary steps to remain certified (i.e., accumulating a certain number of credit hours through various corrections-related work, training and activities). In addressing these concerns, Lt. John S. Wilson, CCO, training academy director with the Maryland corrections department, said: “My personal experience has been that if it’s free and easy and everybody’s going to be in line to get it, that’s not maybe the best thing. If it’s so easy to have, then everyone’s going to have it. ... It is worth the effort, it’s worth the money.”

In closing, Wood said: “Professional certification ... is a personal commitment. It’s a calling on your part to decide, ‘I’m going to step up to the next level and I’m going to prove to myself that I know a certain set of skills and that I have made a commitment to my profession to be the best that I can be.’”

Connecting With the Community Through Work Release

Work release is often an effective tool in allowing inmates to maintain employment while incarcerated pre-trial or serving their sentences. For offenders approaching their release dates, work release is an integral part in the transition back into the community. In the workshop, “Work Release — Connecting With the Community,” speakers Ronald Dobbs, assistant director, Institutions Division, Arkansas Department of Correction; Wayne Hill, facilitator administrator, Baltimore Pre-Release Unit; and Kimberly W. McCauley, director, Work Release/Home Incarceration Program, Franklin County Court of Common Pleas, Columbus, Ohio, stressed that the key to a successful work release program is connecting with the community.

Dobbs began the workshop by acknowledging that sometimes the community is not receptive to work release centers in the community. “You have to connect with the community to make these programs successful,” he said. One thing that Dobbs said has worked well in Arkansas is forging partnerships with law enforcement and the community. “This helps people to see us [corrections] in a different light, and they are often more receptive when we bring work release into the communities,” Dobbs said.

Through a screening process, inmates who apply for work release are placed as close to home as possible based on their skills and available work. A construction program, which employs inmate bricklayers, electricians, plumbers, etc., has been highly successful in Arkansas. This is due to the fact that the community sees the offenders out working and they see the direct benefits to the public. Dobbs noted that work release inmates pay a portion of their upkeep and use some of their wages to pay fines, support family and pay taxes.

Hill shared his experiences in Maryland with the audience. A few years ago, he was charged with turning around Baltimore’s Pre-Release Unit (for men). He began by interviewing the offenders and asking them what, if any, prior work experience they had and what they wanted to do. “I wanted to have these men gainfully employed; therefore, I tried to match their interests with a job,” Hill said.

Once inmates start working in Maryland, they have to pay $106.87 to the DOC for every 40 hours worked. Hill stressed that this gets them into the habit of paying bills and being responsible. In other words, “Now it’s time for you to stand up and be a man and carry your weight,” Hill said. In 2000, Hill helped organize the first offender job fair for work release and probation and parole offenders, and it was a huge success.

Hill noted that in the work release field, one must be able to change and bring about change for others. “Like it or not, these people will go home and how we send them home is our challenge, and we need to give them viable options to be productive citizens,” Hill said, adding, “We must find ways to be creative and do what we know is right.”

Finally, McCauley summarized the Franklin County Work Release/Home Incarceration Program in Columbus. She noted that residents come from the courtroom or jail. The Work Release Program began in 1983 as a pilot project for both males and females. However, as of Jan. 1, due to lack of staff and specialized facilities, as well as a low number of eligible offenders, the program no longer serves females. McCauley hopes to change that if the program is able to obtain a new building in the future.

The program allows some offenders to maintain employment while serving their sentences. In addition to enabling them to support themselves and their families, it also provides them a way to pay restitution, fines and court costs. Offenders pay a portion of their room, board and program cost. The fee is based on a sliding scale and is determined by each participant’s salary. It averages $7 to $15 per day.

Offenders may be sentenced to work release for a maximum of 18 months, and the average length of stay is about 49 days. All sentenced offenders should be on probation for the duration of their sentence. Offenders may also be placed on work release pending sentencing or trial, as a condition of bond and/or probation.

According to McCauley, the program not only benefits the community by giving offenders a chance to learn and lead productive lives, but also by saving the community money toward the cost of incarceration. McCauley said that those in work release must focus on their goals and be willing make changes. She noted that like most programs, there are successes as well as failures. “We still have a long way to go but the successes are what keeps us going.”

Correctional Work Overseas: Danger, Compensation and Personal Experience

The workshop titled “Anti-Terrorism Safety Training for Corrections Staff Overseas” gave attendees a first hand account of what correctional work would be like in a hostile, foreign environment. Moderator David K. Haasenritter began the workshop by discussing the more enticing aspects of working in a place such as Iraq, including a substantial increase in monetary compensation and the chance to help rebuild a nation.

However, the tone quickly changed as Haasenritter discussed ways in which to maintain safety, which included changing driving routes, using different exits to get in and out of buildings and changing eating locations. “The key is to not create any patterns, which could be used by the insurgents,” Haasenritter said.

Mark Saunders, warden adviser to the Ministry of Justice in Baghdad, who was in Iraq for eight months, dispelled any illusion that Iraq offered any type of safe haven. “Anyone with plans to go to Iraq needs to know that no one can guarantee your safety,” Saunders said. “That would be like selling beach-front property in Arizona.”

Saunders explained how he and other workers attempted to stay alive in the deadly environment. “Since my hotel room had two walls that were exposed, I had a bunker on one side of my bed in which I could easily roll over into,” he said. Saunders used slides in the presentation that included a truck filled with explosives meant to be detonated by insurgents and pictures of Baghdad hotels. Saunders also explained that vehicles needed to be checked every morning for planted bombs or other hazardous devices.

Lt. Col. Tom Schmitt, a military officer with a speciality in corrections, also spoke of his experiences in Iraq and of his time at Abu Ghurayb Prison. Schmitt was called into the prison after it received worldwide coverage dealing with allegations of inmate abuse. Like Saunders, Schmitt highlighted the dangers that are associated with doing anything in Iraq, especially traveling. “Moving in Iraq is like getting on a plane here [in the United States]. You must call ahead and have everything planned.”

Schmitt stressed the need to stay vigilant, and for people there to place their mindset away from home and into Iraq. Schmitt added that while people should avoid burning themselves out by being hypervigilant, they should constantly remind themselves where they are and the danger that comes along with it. “I took a shower every morning in a stall that was hit by shrapnel, thinking to myself, ‘If I was in this shower, where would I have been hit?’” Schmitt said. Schmitt expressed the dangers of letting money be the main cause that lures people to Iraq, expressing his hope that if people do decide to go, it should be about more than monetary means.“Think beyond money if you are thinking of going,” Schmitt said. “I would go back in a heartbeat because we were doing phenomenal things over there. We were nation building.”

Management of Incarcerated Security Threat Groups

Whether it is the Bloods in New York’s prisons, or the Mexican Mafia in California jails, correctional agencies across the United States are scrambling to deal with the ever-permeating problems of security threat groups. Members of the National Major Gang Task Force and other corrections personnel gathered to talk about their experiences in the workshop “Management of Incarcerated Security Threat Groups.”

To begin, Brian Parry, a member of the Executive Leadership Council of the National Major Gang Task Force in California, discussed his experiences with the California Department of Corrections, a hotbed of gang activity since the late 1950s. The hardships of dealing with incarcerated security threat groups were quickly illustrated as Parry discussed balancing prison yards withan even number of gangs, to prevent hostile situations from developing into deadly ones. Parry also explained that as the policies to quell gang activities evolve, gangs too, change to adapt to the new restrictions and rules. “What worked in the 70s and 80s, doesn’t necessarily work now,” Parry said. Although Parry conceded that a definitive solution has yet to present itself, moving on intelligence within the prison and offering transitional housing for those wanting to drop out of gangs are ways to cope with the security threat group problem, Parry said.

Next, Frank Marcel, jail intelligence supervisor in the Maricopa County Sheriff’s Office in Phoenix, discussed his work with security threat groups, and illuminated the mentality of many of those who participate in those groups. “Many of these people spill blood to get in [gangs], and many will have to spill blood to get out,” Marcel said. Marcel made it clear that whenever a facility has a higher number of security threat groups, they will inevitably have a higher percentage of crime. Marcel tied his discussion together by explaining the importance of keeping records of gang members and security threat groups. “We must identify, track and monitor those deemed to be in this group,” Marcel said.

Evelyn I. Ridley-Turner, former Indiana DOC commissioner, briefly described her experiences in the midwest, specifically Indiana, explaining that for a time, Indiana was “in denial” about a gang problem. But as violence spiked in the 80s, measures had to be taken to control security threat groups. Turner discussed some of her facilities successes, including a program to remove tattoos from those inmates who wanted to drop out of gangs.

Closing speaker Richard Roy, associate commissioner/inspector general for the New York State Department of Correctional Services, spoke of his experiences in that state. Roy described policies that he felt had an effect in diminishing the out-of-control inmates, including a zero- tolerance policy that should be unbending. Roy also advised correctional officers to maintain power. “Don’t allow gangs to run cell blocks, let them know that we run cell blocks,” Roy said. He also emphasized not abdicating power to the gangs, such as telling a leader of a gang “to calm his people.” Actions like that, Roy explained, would only exacerbate the problem of not being able to control the security threat groups.

Moderator Edward L. Cohn, executive director of the National Major Gang Task Force in Indiana, closed the workshop by telling participants that corrections departments should not “reinvent the wheel,” and instead, should strive to copy other successful programs from around the country. Cohn also commented on the necessity for cooperation among all agencies: “I cannot say it strong enough, and I will continue to say it — agencies’ egos at all bureaucratic levels have to be eliminated.”

Personal Stress Management

Everyone focuses on their work, their kids and their everyday hectic life. But how many people concentrate on their breathing? The workshop “Personal Stress Management” offered participants a chance to pull their attention away from the stress of everyday life, and turn their attention toward relaxing with ancient Chinese techniques known as Tai Chi.

Licensed Tai Chi instructor Randy Johnson began the class with a brief history of how he got involved in the practice, starting in the martial arts and meeting people from Ohio State University who taught Tai Chi. Johnson explained that though the movements and basic principles of Tai Chi are simple, it could take a lifetime to master. However, Johnson explained some of the benefits in practicing Tai Chi for years.“I had a Tai chi instructor who was about 109 years old and looked to be about 60,” Johnson said.

A video was then presented to the class that showed Johnson performing a Tai Chi routine and a voice-over narrative that explained the benefits of practicing Tai Chi, which include reducing stress and blood pressure, toning muscles and improving overall health. The video then urged participants to start paying attention to their breathing, without changing its natural pattern. Participants were asked to count how many breaths they took in a minute, with a normal adult pace being about 14 to16 breaths per minute. The video suggested that by practicing Tai chi, one could reduce it to five breaths per minute.

Proper breathing techniques were then offered, including individuals moving their diaphragm when they breath, rather than their chest. After the video explained basic breathing techniques and a chance to experiment with proper breathing, Johnson began demonstrating simple movements.

Movements in Tai chi revolve around the idea that a person’s balance is maintained using a spot a few inches below his or her naval as the center, Johnson said.

Johnson instructed participants to loosen their knees and shoulders, then with their hands up and palms facing their chest, to slowly shift weight from one foot to the other. As the instruction got more in depth, participants were taught to breathe in as they lifted their arms up in front of them gently and exhale as they moved them down slowly.

Willow hands was another movement participants could do. Johnson explained that this movement, which required twisting of the torso, could help people with back pain.

As a person practices the moves, their breath will naturally begin to fall into place with the movements, Johnson explained. While the 90 minute workshop only allowed for an introduction, Johnson hoped that it would spark enough interest for people to begin seeking Tai Chi classes in their area to help in relieving the stress associated in working in corrections..

The Future of Offender Reentry: How Will Its Impact Be Measured?

The unprecedented number of people entering the correctional system each year is only matched by the record number of inmates returning to the community. In response to the growing interest and concern revolving around this red-button issue, numerous experts in the field of reentry spoke at the workshop titled “The Future of Offender Reentry: How Will Its Impact Be Measured?”

Moderator David E. Rhine, deputy director of the Office of Policy and Offender Reentry, Ohio Department of Rehabilitation and Correction, began the session with a brief introduction as to why an issue that has always existed is now being thrust into the limelight. “Hundreds of thousands of offenders are coming home, ill prepared to reenter society,” he said. Rhine also pointed out that President Bush gave national attention to the issue, mentioning reentry in his State of the Union address in January 2004.

Next, Mario Paparozzi, associate professor in the Department of Sociology for the University of North Carolina at Pembroke, spoke of his inside look into reentry, relying on his numerous years as a parole officer to guide his speech. Paparozzi told the audience of his first at-home visit to a parolee in a project building in Newark, N.J., recognizing that it was going to take a lot more than himself, to help ex-offenders get back on their feet. Paparozzi vehemently expressed the need for measurements to be the cornerstone of guiding reentry programs and components. Without measurements and evaluations, Paparozzi added, there will be no clear view of what programs are working, what needs to be changed or added, and what potential cost and public safety benefits there may be.

Bobbie Huskey, president of Huskey & Associates, spoke next and echoed sentiments of Paparozzi in that measurements should be the keys to influencing reentry policy. Huskey then listed generic goals that most programs should strive to accomplish, including reducing criminality and increasing public safety, having family support networks for offenders reentering society and achieving systems changes through collaborative efforts with various agencies.

Trudy Gregorie, with Justice Solutions in Washington, D.C., told participants that reentry solutions must include a victim component. Gregorie contended that victims must be involved in the planning and implementation because oftentimes the victims know or knew the offender well. In this sense, the victims can offer invaluable insight into the mind-set of the offender and hopefully help construct better policy in dealing with these offenders. Gregorie also noted the fact that victims should have a choice in whether to get involved with the reentry process; it should not be considered a responsibility.

While all speakers highlighted various aspects of reentry, they all agreed that collaboration among correctional and community agencies is crucial to the success of reentry. “Corrections cannot go it alone. If these programs are to be successful, there must be the creation of holistic systems,” Rhine said.

Developing Career Pathways in Corrections

As recruitment and retention have become increasingly difficult, corrections must implement new approaches to building and sustaining its workforce. One of these approaches is using career pathways. In the Sunday workshop, “Developing Career Pathways in Corrections,” speakers Michael D. Parsons, Ph.D., executive director, Washington State Criminal Justice Training Commission and Richard Tewksbury, Ph.D., professor, Department of Justice Administration, University of Louisville, discussed the development and application of career pathways within a correctional organization and how to connect these pathways with secondary schools and higher education academic programs.

Tewksbury began by stressing the importance of correctional agencies partnering with institutions of higher learning to recruit staff. He noted that colleges and universities can prepare future staff and provide a recruitment pool; identify, design and implement retention efforts; assist with training; help with evaluating programs, policies and procedures; and promote and understanding of correctional realities.

Turnover has become a major problem in corrections. For example, Tewksbury discussed a study of the Kentucky Department of Corrections, which shows that three-quarters of staff turnover (in a 24-month period) is due to voluntarily leaving: retired 11 percent, fired 13 percent and voluntary 76 percent. In fact, one-half of all (non-retiring) turnovers occur within the first year of employment and 25 percent occurs within four months. According to Tewksbury, the best ways to address turnover are better recruitment and partnering with university programs (not necessarily tradition ones such as criminal justice and sociology). “Recruitment needs to be honest, and address both positives and negatives of positions and provide insights/experiences so recruits have a better understanding of the field,” he said.

Recruiting on campuses is effective. Tewksbury pointed out that this can be done at a wide range of campuses including four-year colleges and universities, community colleges, technical colleges (especially for non-security positions), and private, for-profit educational and training schools. He noted a program at the University of Louisville that gives students college credit for completing academy training and a program at the University of Wisconsin-Oshkosh that allows student interns to teach college preparatory classes to inmate students. Additionally, it is important for correctional agencies to get to know faculty and inform them about opportunities. “If you want us to talk you up, you need to inform and court us,” Tewksbury said.

Recognizing that students today are technology oriented, Tewksbury stressed that an Internet presence is critical for correctional agencies. A Web site should answer typical questions a recruit would have and “sell” corrections as a career. It’s also important that there is a way to contact the agency through the site.

Finally, Tewksbury said that corrections and universities should be partners in preparation, recruitment and retention. “We can work together and we can both benefit,” he said, adding, “Success will rely on thinking creatively.”

Parsons then addressed the audience. “Career paths are very much up to the individual and their preference for life, their skills, knowledge and abilities, and sometimes fortune,” Parsons said. He defined career path as “the sequence of jobs or classifications in a work structure that an individual can attain through progressive achievement of competencies and other requirements.”

Certain skills, knowledge and abilities are necessary to move through career pathways in any profession. According to Parsons, three skills are needed for entry and progression: human, technical and conceptual. In addition, the following are the necessary ingredients to pursuing a career path in corrections: