DETAILS: PATROLLING THE NOVEMBER-DECEMBER 2013 PERIMETER Meet CAI The newest members of the CCA family Do you have what it takes to earn CCA’s new Distinguished Service Award? Longtime employees find their stride at North Fork Correctional Facility Supporting one another WHEN FAMILY DEPLOYS OUR PEOPLE OUR COMMUNITY OUR COMPANY WWW.CCA.COM/INSIDECCAinsidecca.com 1 In this Issue ON THE COVER Correctional Officer Melanie Varnedoe at her brother’s send-off, as he deployed to Afghanistan. Photo courtesy of Hardeman County Correctional Center. CONTRIBUTORS Annette Caldwell Daniel Crandall John Diffenderfer The Ethics Department Louise Grant On page 4, discover the newest members of the CCA family, Correctional Alternatives, Inc. Elijah Light DeAndra Mack FEATURES COLUMNS Mike Machak Shermaine Nettles 4 CAI 3 From the President’s Desk Jenna Slocum An introduction to a different version 8 Facility Focus of corrections. Stacey Sparrow 9 Facility Spotlight: Lee 11 Introducing a New Service Award Adjustment Center CCA unveils a new annual award for CONTACT US exceptional service. 10 Service Awards We welcome reader feedback and inquiries. Write to InsideCCA: 12 An Army of Support 11 Contest Hardeman County Correctional [email protected] 15 Details: The Perimeter Center embraces our nation’s armed Ten things to watch for when you find services while caring for one of their yourself on the other side of the fence. own. InsideCCA is published six times a year 16 Our CCA Family: Barton Wilson 18 New Beginnings at North Fork by Corrections Corporation of America A program facilitator at Metro- Employees from transitioned facilities (CCA) for employees and friends of the Davidson County Detention Facility find a new home with CCA. company. Copyright 2013, Corrections is changing lives — both inside and Corporation of America. Unauthorized 21 Ethics at Work outside his facility. duplication is prohibited. Spotlighting Leavenworth Detention Center’s facility investigator, Deborah 19 LifeStyle: Awareness and Hope Kinney A recap of the various ways in which our CCA family used the month of October to promote breast cancer awareness. 20 Applause Applause 22 Our People 2 CCA.com/InsideCCA From the President’s Desk Remembering Our National Guard By Damon Hininger, CCA President and CEO hen Veterans Day (Nov. 11) rolls around, like many of governments. Those branches of the military have grown to Wyou, I start to think about our military Soldiers, Sailors complement active duty troops when assistance is needed in Marines, Airmen, and Coast Guard members — past and pres- various places across the globe. ent — and their important role in protecting our nation and I’m especially thankful for the dedicated individuals who serve our freedoms. in our National Guard and Reserves. I’m also thankful for the Those who serve as active duty military service members make many employers who allow them to keep their jobs while ful- tremendous sacrifices, and they certainly deserve our grati- filling their duties to our nation, and I’m proud to say that CCA tude and recognition. This Veterans Day, however, I’d like to is one of those employers. pay special tribute to the part-time members of our military If you know a member of the National Guard or Reserves — — our National Guard and Reserves. I think the service of those within our CCA Family or elsewhere — I hope you’ll join me in individuals is often overlooked and under-appreciated. expressing appreciation for their service. n For those who may not know, the men and women who serve in our National Guard and Reserves often work full-time civil- ian jobs or attend college, all while maintaining their military training so they can be ready to deploy at a moment’s notice. Members of the Guard and Reserves are deployed for overseas combat missions, counter-drug efforts, domestic emergencies and more. Part of their role is to assist with relief efforts when natural disasters hit. For example, did you know the Guard deployed more than 50,000 troops in little more than two weeks to bring relief to the Gulf States after Hurricane Katrina? It was the most massive and quickest response to a natural disaster in history. It’s notable that the National Guard is the oldest branch of the military; its origins date all the way back to 1636 when ordinary citizens formed militias to defend their families and towns from attacks. Today, the Guard and Reserves has more than 50,000 activated members, serving both state and federal “I’m especially thankful for the dedicated individuals who serve in our National Guard and Reserves.” CCA.com/InsideCCA 3 4 CCA.com/InsideCCA CAI An introduction to a different view of corrections By Louise Grant everal weeks after CCA’s acquisition of Correctional Alternatives, Inc. (CAI), I spent time at the two CAI residential re-entry centers meeting team members to learn about their important Scorrections work. Pride and Passion “There’s one former resident who checks in re-entry is very much needed in today’s crimi- frequently with me and says he’s employed, nal justice system. “We are the key to their doing well and staying on a positive course. successful re-entry,” one says. “What we are That feels rewarding to hear about his suc- providing works,” says another. “Our country cess.” That success story told by Captain needs more re-entry programs like ours in LeShon Aiken, a long-tenured CAI employee, every big city.” “We make it an easier transi- is one of many successes you hear at CAI. tion, less scary.” “We empower the residents, and that’s important.” When you visit CAI’s two residential re-entry centers in San Diego that can serve about The staff work with great purpose but in a 600 inmates — referred to as residents — it’s relaxed environment. The word pride imme- easy to see the passion the 110 staff have for diately comes to mind when I think of how their mission. It’s a mission that’s simple but CAI employees feel about their careers. It’s extremely important: to make a meaningful, similar to our teams and our CCA Way PRIDE. positive difference in the lives of residents by You also hear employees at CAI refer to them- helping them transition successfully back into selves as a family. That’s also similar to how society. CCA facilities describe themselves: one team, one goal. Every person I spoke to believes residential CCA.com/InsideCCA 5 The Teams Each CAI center has a director, functioning like our AW or warden, reporting up to Bessy Glaske, the CAI president and now CCA Man- aging Director in Business Unit III. The major- ity of employees, many with social work backgrounds, are the program management teams who pro- vide case management and social services. They report to a program manager, who is like a chief of unit management. They B. Glaske work with social services coordinators and oth- ers in the field of job placement. A small num- ber of uniformed employees, wearing blue polos with a CAI logo, are the monitors — the security force at the centers. They report to a captain, who is a like a chief of security. There also are maintenance personnel, along with CAI food service staff who do all meal prepa- ration, because the government contracts do not allow residents to perform any official job assignments. The Residents CAI 35th Avenue staff members process residents returning from work. By all appearances, the residents feel at ease. After all, they have a nice environment in The CAI Locations area is tucked onto a side corner, down a cor- which to live and a lot of support while they ridor from the basketball court. Further down The two CAI locations, about a mile and a half complete the last days and months of their are the dormitories, which are like those from each other, are in neighborhoods just federal or county sentence. Wearing street you’d find in a college dorm at the 35th loca- outside downtown San Diego and minutes clothes, all residents at CAI are part of either tion, and at the Boston Avenue they are simi- from the beautiful Pacific Ocean. At the main, the Federal Bureau of Prisons, the U.S. Proba- lar to CCA open-bay dorms. tion Office, or San Diego County jail system. larger location on 35th Street, the one-story Seeing male and female residents casually They remain at the re-entry centers for an aver- California-style hacienda looks like a retire- interacting is something that might surprise age of 70 days, though some have lived there ment center with beige stucco exterior and our correctional teams at CCA. Naturally, for six months, while others are permitted to Spanish clay-tiled roofs. On the walls inside in adult secure settings at CCA, these two leave once they find stable employment or a are bulletin boards listing classes and pro- populations are highly segregated. But in the residence. About 50 residents are managed grams related to job opportunities in San business of half-way houses and residential by CAI staff while they are on home detention, Diego, and framed paintings of Italian street re-entry, the two genders are learning to live being required to have daily phone checks and scenes and landscapes. The main administra- safely with each other, just like they’ll soon weekly home and job checks. tive building has offices for case managers, a large residents’ dining hall, and large com- be doing once they are released. The 35th For the residents, it’s a time when they truly puter lab where residents are busy writing location manages both Bureau of Prisons begin the process of learning what life will resumes, job-searching and making transition and county residents, male and female.