2011 CCA Employees' Holiday Memories, Part Three

This holiday season, we asked employees what some of their favorite holiday memories were. Many of you sent in your favorite or most memorable story, and part three wraps up this year's holiday Voices series. Read More

2011 CCA Employees' Holiday Memories, Part Two

In honor of the holiday season, we asked CCA employees to share their favorite, most memorable or just an interesting holiday story with us, and many of you wrote in with your own heartwarming story. Here is part two of this CCA family holiday series. Read More

2011 CCA Employees' Holiday Memories, Part One

In honor of the holiday season, we asked CCA employees to share their favorite, most memorable or just an interesting holiday story with us. Many of the stories (and a few poems!) centered around family, food and childhood. Here are just a few of those stories for part one of this holiday series. Read More

Are You Running the Institution or is the Institution Running You?

by John Mills, investigation manager, Central Arizona Detention Center

It's surprising how fast-paced correctional facility operations can be - even more so when you consider that the whole system revolves around “doing time.” On any given day in facilities all over the country it goes something like this. Read More

Managing Change

Advice on becoming positive agents of change in corrections

by Laura E. Bedard, warden, Moore Haven Correctional Facility

A saying goes: People don't resist change; they resist being changed. In corrections, with shifts in populations, revised policies, emerging best practices and more, change is a constant, ongoing order of the day. Here, Warden Laura Bedard of a CCA Florida facility offers some friendly advice on coping with and leading change. Read More

My Journey to becoming a U.S. Citizen

by Paul Gerards, correctional officer, Crowley County Correctional Facility

My first visit to the USA was in summer of 1996, when I visited my mom and brother. At that time, my mom's new husband was a U.S. Air Force (USAF) officer stationed at Tinker Air Force Base near Oklahoma City, Okla. That's when I first fell in love with America and started researching ways to immigrate. Read More

Red Ribbon Ripple Effect

by Vicki Hinkle, human resources manager, North Fork Correctional Facility

During the month of May our principal Ms. Macumber challenged all of the education personnel to focus on positives and passed out red ribbons to her staff. When people asked what the red ribbons were for they were supposed to pass on the message and another ribbon. The ribbons serve as a reminder to have positive attitudes and praise one another. No negative talk, no cussing, all positive. Read More

Patriot Packages: A Family Affair

by Debbie Applewhite, administrative clerk, Tallahatchie County Correctional Facility

I'm excited about this year's efforts because it gives our soldiers a piece of home; it shows that CCA as a company cares about our military employees abroad and home. It's a great opportunity for our employees to show support to our troops for their bravery in keeping this country safe and free. My daughter Erika Applewhite – a Tallahatchie employee who's serving in Iraq with the Army National Guard - is a part of something so huge! Read More

My Peer Review Experience

by Robert Sparks, Jr., unit manager, Kit Carson Correctional Center

I have served as a peer review panelist for over two years now, and I just submitted an application to be a panelist for another year. As I think back over the last two years, I find that it's been a very positive and rewarding experience for me for several reasons. Read More

"Something to Consider – What should be the Purpose of Incarceration in Modern Society?"

by Marty LaBarbera, CCA director, Addictions Treatment and Behavioral Programs

It seems very reasonable to accept that the purpose of prison in a modern society is to incarcerate and punish dangerous people, and this should create safer communities and protect the rest of us. But, then again, for those of us in the corrections profession, it's worth taking a few minutes to look deeper. Read More

A CCA Family Connection

by Jason Wilson, residential counselor, T. Don Hutto Residential Center

An employee I would like to highlight for National Correctional Employees Week is chief of security Michelle Wilson at T. Don Hutto Residential Center, who has shown that through hard work and perseverence you can achieve your goals. Read More

Making an Impact Through Corrections

by Wesley Davis, Correctional Officer, Lake City Correctional Facility

This is what I love about my job. If I can help just one young inmate stay out of trouble, then my years at Lake City Correctional Facility have been worth it. Read More

Why I Volunteer

by Margaret Monson, mental health coordinator, Silverdale Detention Facility

Corrections is a stressful job and I looked for a way to balance this out. My training has strong ethics and my religion commands me to help others. This is why I volunteer. Read More

Helping At-Risk Youth Achieve Their Visions

by Glenda Henning, Education Principal, Bridgeport Pre-Parole Transfer Facility

This year I started working with a team of volunteers to support at-risk high school kids as a Bridgeport Strength Bank volunteer, helping them achieve their goals and stay out of trouble. Read More

Making a Difference in Corrections

by Christina Frappiea, classification supervisor, Saguaro Correctional Facility

Sometimes I wonder if what I do makes a difference…Today is just another ordinary day. When I get out of my car, the sun is just rising over the purple mountains in the Arizona desert. I take in the beauty and then walk through the doors of Saguaro Correctional Center where I work. I have worked in corrections for the past 16 years and no day is ever the same. Read More