FEATURES
CCAssist: "There, but for the grace of God, go I."
It's a common enough expression, but have you ever considered what it means? It means what has happened to someone else, under other circumstances, could have just as easily happened to us. On June 7, 2006, it did happen to my family. My oldest son flipped a car on a gravel road. My daughter, who was 14 at the time, was thrown from the car. The car rolled over her, coming to a stop on her head. By a series of events that can only be attributed to Divine Intervention, she survived the accident, but every bone in her face was broken, and she suffered a hairline skull fracture. Read More
Founding Fathers and the Fourth of July
My latest trip to D.C. was just this past week. While there, I could already see signs of the city getting ready for the upcoming Fourth of July holiday. Red, white and blue decorations were beginning to become visible. Crowds are fascinated by the many sights that remind us to pay homage to those Founding Fathers, and many others, who came before us and helped secure the freedom and independence we enjoy today. This Fourth of July, I am humbled by all that has happened that has enabled us to be where – and who – we are today. Read More
Remembering the Reason for Memorial Day
It is important to remember the reason we have a Memorial Day. Going back to the 1800s, Memorial Day is an opportunity to come together and recognize the brave men and women of the armed forces who made the ultimate sacrifice in defending and protecting our great nation. Many Americans have given their lives for our country since its founding and most recently, over 5,400 servicepersons have lost their lives in Iraq and Afghanistan. Now is also a great time to pause and recognize your co-workers who have served our nation with bravery and dedication. About 10 percent of our CCA Family is comprised of veterans who by virtue of their service were willing to risk it all to serve this great country. Read More
A Foundations Surprise
Quite honestly, I was honored to be selected for Foundations but I did not expect to come out with a whole lot of new information. I have been around for a few years and have been fortunate enough to be exposed to several of good initiatives that seem to come and go. Read More
Connecting with CCA Family in Crisis
One morning when I was 12 years old, I got up early to begin my paper route and noticed a light on in the front of the house. Not hearing any noise coming from the area, I went to investigate. What I found there was the beginning of a living hell. I found my father sprawled out on the kitchen floor. I screamed in horror because I thought he was dead. My mother responded to my panic; she told me he was not dead but drunk and passed out. Read More
What it means to be a Correctional Professional
A Corrections Professional by definition is a person charged with the responsibility of the supervision, safety and security of prisoners in a prison or jail of similar form of secure custody. Also these officers are responsible for the care, custody and control of individuals who have been arrested and are awaiting trial while on remand or who have been convicted of a crime and sentenced to serve time in a prison or a jail. However this conclusive and very small definition does not define what is means to be a Correctional Professional. According to CCA what it means to be a Correctional Professional requires twelve guiding principles which are, Safety and Security, Quality, Accountability, Service Driven, Cost Effectiveness, Teamwork, Innovation, Integrity, Respect, Trust, and Loyalty. Read More
Honoring All Employees during NCOEW
When we think of correctional employees, we usually think of those dedicated individuals who put on a uniform every day as they prepare for work. They are the most highly visible of all of the CCA staff and shoulder a weight of responsibility, remaining alert to their surroundings and the inmates in their area of supervision. They are responsible for the safety and security of staff, inmates and visitors. They are ready to respond to any incident at a moment's notice, ensuring that the facility remains a safe place. We sometimes forget those other individuals who work more or less behind the scenes, making sure that other activities in the facility are running without a hitch. Teachers, case managers, food service workers, maintenance workers, medical staff, administrative staff and others—all play an integral role in the operation of the facility. Read More
NCOEW: A Time to Appreciate Each Other
A highlight of my role as your leader is visiting with the remarkable and dedicated staff during my facility tours across this company. I always come away renewed about CCA's important role in our nation's correctional system. This week, as we celebrate National Correctional Officers and Employees Week, May 2-8, I am very reflective about the significant accomplishments of you and your more than 17,000 co-workers. Read More
Corrections: The Diamond in the ruff in Law Enforcement
As we all know Corrections is the long forgotten branch of Law Enforcement. Police Officers are always in the public eye for their heroic performances in the line of duty but the staff working in the correctional facilities perform heroics on a daily basic that go un-noticed. This is the one time of the year that we can give recognition and say thank you to the staff working in this very hard and dangerous occupation. We stand tall and proud as we serve in this duty driven and community service environment. One family one mission. Read More
Taking Training to the Next Level
Our jobs are about being in inmates’ business and observing them. These skills that were taught to us through CCA training probably saved a man’s life. Back in 2008 I met my new neighbor, who recently had divorced and been diagnosed with cancer. Later, he started to sell off his belongings and began not really caring about anything. . . Read More
Pink Azaleas
My name is Jo McMahan. I have been an employee at Hardeman County Correctional Facility in Whiteville, Tenn. for 13 years. This is one of the most important stories I will ever tell about myself, and it's not about me at all…this is my 'pink' story. I lost a co-worker 14 years ago to breast cancer, and it changed my life forever. I have never been touched by cancer myself, nor has anyone else close to me until this year. My uncle was just diagnosed with Stage four colon cancer two months ago….the fight continues. Read More
Not Just Another Working Class Dog
When staff often reflect upon the CCA's Guiding Principles of Loyalty, Integrity, Trust and Respect, they hopefully will have a vision of their facility leaders, most notably their Warden, their supervisors, and mentors that they look up to everyday, but also what they hope to mirror to others. When I think of these Four Guiding Principles I cannot discount a very important member of our team at MCJII that epitomizes these very important characteristics, and that member happens to be our K-9 unit, Lizzie. Read More