EDITOR'S CORNER

This month it's the ladies' turn to shine. For a long time, corrections was known as a man's industry. While it's a tough field for both sexes, women practitioners have faced more challenges both in the trenches and in their effort to climb the career ladder. This week, we feature a few professionals who are working to change the corrections landscape. In upcoming issues, we'll spotlight more of the industry's top ladies.
Jim, Corrections.com editor

FEATURED STORY

Woman power

By Ann Coppola

Lady leadership

There was a time when one could walk around a facility and simply count how many female employees worked there. Today, it’s a much different story. More and more women are stepping into facilities and onto the tiers. In addition, the variety of work some of them do outside the walls makes keeping tabs on their contributions to an ever-evolving corrections world a practically insurmountable task.

Take Lovisa Stannow, for example. Originally from Sweden, Stannow is a human rights advocate who’s worked all over the world, from Somalia to Colombia, in war zones and natural disaster areas. Currently she is the executive director of Los Angeles-based Stop Prisoner Rape, the only U.S. organization focusing exclusively on sexual abuse in detention. Based on the group’s accomplishments and plans for the future, you’d never know it operates on a staff of only nine people. Read this week's full story.

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READER FEEDBACK

Regarding Jail 101, 6/22/08

For years the only people striving to have realistic courses on jails, prison and the criminal populations were the lower line staff who had no power over the theories, policies or training at such places. Only those who work about that level (such as M.D.s and Ph.D.s or administrators) can formulate these things, although their version of jail “reality” is skewed towards the criminal perspective or whatever PC theory or advocacy is prominent.

The idea of people being required to actually visit jails is a good one. They should also be able to spend some time with line staff, away from inmates and the naïve doctors. What someone learns from the experiences of people in the trenches can be so valuable and certainly more effective that the PC theory du jour. Even visting different lock up facilities can be useful to observe a variety of physical plants and different operations.
MH, Ohio

I agree with integrating jail courses in our schools and educating society about jails as community agencies. In his comments last week, Dr. Ken Kerle made a good point about how services such as alcohol/drug treatment programs, vocational training, education and social services, have something to offer offenders, but are not well integrated into jail reentry programs. I have questioned how these people will keep themselves from returning to prison if they do not have the necessary skills to stay out.

I am a criminal justice major and believe that the jail system must make an honest effort to change by offering programs that will help prevent the incarcerated from falling into the recidivist cycle. The initial purpose of incarceration was to "rehabilitate." However, it has turned into a multi-billion dollar business and has not done its share to do that.
L. Beck

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BUSINESS NEWS

Arizona county employee wins award for implementing new technology

Carol File, the Detention Services Records Manager with Yavapai County, recently was awarded the Yavapai County Sheriff’s Office 2007 Civilian Employee of the Year Award for the outstanding job she has done by implementing an innovative new Offender Management System from Digital Solutions Inc. and Offender Communication System from Inmate Telephone Inc. More

NCIC Inmate Telephone Services announces international collect calling

NCIC Inmate Telephone Services is pleased to announce its introduction of International Collect Calling for inmate telephone providers. More

NCIC Inmate Telephone Services announces next generation system

NCIC Inmate Telephone Services is pleased to announce its second generation of VOIP-enabled, full-featured inmate phone platform. More

CAREER WATCH

Kentucky veteran Chandler to retire After twenty-six years of work in the Kentucky corrections system Larry Chandler has decided to retire. Full story

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EVENTS

American Probation and Parole Association's 33rd Annual Training Institute

Date: 8/3 - 6/08
Over 70 workshops to attend. Exhibit hall, luncheon, networking and exciting general sessions too!. More information.

American Correctional Association's 138th Congress of Correction

Date: 8/8 - 13/08
Held in New Orleans, Louisiana. For more information, contact Jennifer Bechtel at 703.224.0102. More information

Association of Correctional Food Service Affiliates

Date: 8/24 - 28/08
If you’re new to the correctional food service industry, or a seasoned pro, you’re sure to come away with new tools and a greater understanding of your current working environment. More information.

Check out more events.

QUOTE OF THE WEEK

"The time to stop talking is when the other person nods his head affirmatively but says nothing."
- Henry S. Haskins, American writer, teacher (1875-1957)


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