Latest News

2012 Boys and Girls Clubs of America Merit Award Ceremony

MAY 2012

The Boys and Girls Clubs of Greater Scottsdale is partnered with the Salt River Department of Corrections Program and is the first fully functional Boys and Girls Club program in a correctional facility in Indian Country. This program is not only providing the youth with solid, proven Boys and Girls Club programming but it is also helping with academic credit recovery. The program provides a Safe and Positive Environment, Fun and Engaging Activities, Supportive Relationships, Opportunities, Expectations and Recognition. The Boys and Girls Club of America recently recognized the program with the 2012 Merit Award at their National Conference in San Diego.

MAY 2012

In 1984, President Ronald Reagan signed Proclamation 5187 creating National Correctional Officers Week. The first full week in May has since been recognized as National Correctional Officers Week, to honor the work of correctional officers and correctional personnel nationwide, more specifically the 75 men and women who serve the SRPMIC community. We are providing a safe, secure, and humane correction facility supported by progressive programs. The professional efforts of these staff members each day help our department to live up to its core values.

APRIL 2012

The Salt River Department of Corrections has encouraged individual staff members to seek national certification as correctional professionals through the American Correctional Association (ACA).

The Corrections Certification Program (CCP), offered by ACA, is a self-study program which is followed by a four-hour proctored exam. It provides individuals with a national method to become Certified Corrections Professionals and recognizes the high-level capabilities and accomplishments they have demonstrated in the field of corrections. The Certification Program creates a lifetime of progressive professional achievement through its various certification categories.

This training has not only promoted individual knowledge and growth but also minimizes the liability to the community and department. To date, the Salt River Department of Corrections has seen (25) or 38% of staff members achieve this goal. We encourage all of our staff to continuously expand their knowledge and skills and this is just one example towards that objective.

National Jail Leadership Command Academy Class

DECEMBER 2011

The National Jail Leadership Command Academy (NJLCA) is a joint initiative of the Correctional Management Institute of Texas, the American Jail Association, National Association of Counties and National Institute of Corrections.

The purpose of the National Jail Leadership Command Academy is succession preparation for mid-level managers currently working in or supporting America's jails. Participants are exposed to a curriculum specifically designed to help prepare them for successful transition into leadership roles in our nation's jails. Participants are engaged daily from the time they sit down for an early breakfast until they work on their problem-solving projects at the end of the day.

The photo to the right was published in the Nov/Dec 2011 edition of American Jails Magazine. Congratulations to three of our own in the successful completion of this academy, Sergeant Wendy Hillman, Corporal Ann Sandoval and Corporal Bret Stevenson.

SEPTEMBER 2011

During the month of September, 2011, several members of our Emergency Service Unit; Hostage/Crisis Negotiation team completed their national certifications as Hostage/Crisis negotiators. Congratulations to:

• Lt. Stacie Mitchell
• Officer Antonio Avila
• Officer Danny Brown
• Officer Amy Rose

This certification program was designed to elevate professional standards of this department, enhance individual performance and skills, and designate those who demonstrate knowledge essential to our profession, specifically in crisis situations.

We are very proud of not only their individual accomplishments, but what they will bring to the department as a whole.

AUGUST 2011

There are many programs that are focused on reaching out to at-risk juveniles and teens. The establishment of these programs is often based upon the resources and funding available. The Salt River Department of Correction in cooperation with the Boys and Girls Club of Greater Scottsdale, Salt River Pima Maricopa Indian Community Office of Probation, and the SRPMIC Community Drug Court have put together a fairly unique combination of services in the hopes of Diverting Our Native Teens (D.O.N.T.) from incarceration and the vicious cycle it creates.

The program was derived from a host of other programs and ideas such as scared straight, drug court, diversion and the usual treatment plans. It is our belief that the need for "Effective Intervention" is much needed and the key to diverting our youth away from a life of criminality and deviant behavior. There is an abundance of empirical evidence and research that concludes rehabilitation programs produce significant reductions in youth entering the jail system and becoming recidivists. This is what we strive and hope for the future of youth in this community.

The design and implementation was given much thought and no one single idea was responsible for the design of this programs effort. Youth admitted to this voluntary program learn the values of education, self-discipline, hard work, finances, leadership, teamwork, history, culture and community service. It is designed to teach youth the necessary skills and information to successfully evade incarceration and detention and reintegrate back into the community successfully.

We encourage families to be involved in the program and/or treatment process. The mere dropping their sons and daughters off in the hopes that someone else will produce positive results will not work. It is also important that we track the youth performance and recidivism after they complete the program to measure the Program Effectiveness. The 80s and 90s resulted in a pendulum in corrections that had swung from treatment to punishment not only in the adult system but ultimately filtered down to the juvenile system as well. However, it would appear that the pendulum is on its way back the other way in the form of rehabilitation. At Salt River we hope to be ahead of the pendulum.

Rehabilitation for youth is always the preferred method, as opposed to, incarceration. Intensive community participation, collaboration and cooperation of all youth as they enter into this program are key to its success, especially for those coming from less structured environments at home.