YOUR VOICE YOUR CCA · The Ethics Helpline and Ethics Liaison program are great examples of...

FALL 2016

C YBERSECURITY TIPS – PATRIOT PRIDE – CCASSIST FUND: CELEBRATING 10 YEARS

YOUR VOICE YOUR CCACCA reviews the results from the 2016 Engagement Survey

You have probably noticed a relatively new feature of InsideCCA magazine — the Across America section. In the past, InsideCCA has featured something similar in varying forms, and we thought it was worth trying to make this feature a little more impactful. Of course,

we can’t get this done without help from the field. That’s why we’ve asked your facility reporters and wardens to submit to us on a quarterly basis a quick news story and picture. We love to hear about facility engagement events, community involvement, reentry program updates and employee successes, and we’re proud to share the good news in InsideCCA magazine. These brief stories in Across America are insights into what’s going on in CCA facilities all over the country.

One of the things I am particularly proud of at CCA is the CCAssist program. You’ll read in this issue about how much CCAssist has grown over its 10-year existence. It’s amazing to see how many employees give to this important program and how many have received assistance. It’s a program by the employees and for the employees, and I think that this makes it all the more special.

I want to thank everyone who supports InsideCCA — in particular the facility reporters who take the time to submit news stories to the Communications department. You help us keep the company informed.

Finally, I’d like to remind everyone that we are always happy (and grateful) to receive your feedback about InsideCCA magazine. You can always reach me directly at [email protected] or through our Communications email box [email protected].

James C. DillardCommunications DirectorInsideCCA Editor

EDITOR’S NOTES

FEATURES4 GROWTH AND NEW OPPORTUNITIES IN ARIZONA CCA Red Rock Correctional Center expands its footprint to accommodate partner needs.

8 EMPLOYEE ENGAGEMENT AT CCA CCA’s 2016 Engagement Survey is complete. How did we score?

10 APPRECIATING ETHICAL BEHAVIOR Recognizing and promoting ethical behavior is vital in ensuring an ethical environment.

11 BEING SECURE ON THE WEB AND BEYOND Check out these five tips to help you keep our network safe.

16 DISTINGUISHED SERVICE AND THE CCA WAY One CCA employee puts her training and experience to work to help others in a tragic situation.

17 MEMORIALIZING OUR VETERANS When John Meyer saw that the grave markers for local veterans were faded and tarnished, he stepped up to change that.

26 CELEBRATING 10 YEARS OF EMPLOYEES HELPING EMPLOYEES Ten years later, CCAssist is stronger than ever.

COLUMNS2 EDITOR’S NOTES

3 THE CEO COLUMN

7 THE EVP COLUMN

15 NEW FACES, NEW PLACES

12 LIVE HERE, WORK HERE CCA Red Rock Correctional Center

18 SERVICE AWARDS

20 APPLAUSE

22 ACROSS AMERICA

27 TEAM HIGHLIGHT CCA Coffee Correctional Facility

ON THE COVERLinda Witt (left) is a Health Services administrator and Trudi Nickels is a Medical Records clerk at CCA Lake Erie Correctional Facility.

CONTRIBUTORSScott Antifonario Bethany DavisJohn Diffenderfer James C. DillardTony Grande Damon Hininger Elijah Light DeAndra MackChristina VinsonDean WeaverAmelia Pearson

CONTACT USWe welcome reader feedback and inquiries. Write to InsideCCA: [email protected]

InsideCCAis published four times a year by Corrections Corporation of America (CCA) for employees and friends of the company. Copyright 2016, Corrections Corporation of America. Unauthorized duplication is prohibited.

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IN THIS ISSUE

For many of us, ethics act as an anchor in our lives. Even when things seem turbulent and out of control, we can rely on our ethics to help us weather the storm. We can also rely on one another. As

a team, we can work to ensure that ethical conduct continues to be the norm and not the exception.

Sometimes, determining if an act is ethical or unethical is simply not as straightforward as we would prefer it to be. Fortunately, there are many methods to help us with this process — one you may find useful I call the harm test. Will your action or inaction cause harm to another individual or compromise security in your facility? If the answer is yes, then there is a strong likelihood that course is unethical and should be reconsidered. In the case where you are not sure, err on the side of caution and notify your supervisor.

I understand that it’s not always easy to share ethical concerns with your supervisor, particularly if you are worried about retribution. That’s why it’s vital for our supervisors to make it clear that they will treat all reports of ethics violations with discretion and professionalism.

Through the Ethics and Compliance Department, CCA has put in place resources and training to help us strengthen our ethical culture. The Ethics Helpline and Ethics Liaison program are great examples of initiatives I believe will really help us make a difference. To learn more

about Ethics and Compliance efforts, I would invite you to read their column in this issue and in future issues.

Ethical decisions have enduring and far-reaching impacts on our lives. Each ethical infraction takes us further away from both understanding what is ethical and comprehending how the lack of ethics may have influenced an individual or situation. That’s why, regardless of how trivial the situation may seem, each of us must absolutely choose the ethical course of action 100 percent of the time. Because if you don’t, you may find that the accumulation of seemingly insignificant unethical choices will alter your ability to respond appropriately to a serious ethical situation.

Let’s celebrate and promote the ethical conduct we see at work every day. By doing so, we’ll help ensure a safe and secure environment for ourselves and the individuals in our care.

Thank you for all you do.

Damon T. HiningerCCA President and CEO

Putting Ethical ConductINTO PERSPECTIVE

Damon visits with Griff Mizell and Jennie Stevenson at CCA McRae Correctional Facility.

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THE CEO COLUMN

CCAwas proud to be awarded a contract recently with the Arizona Department of Corrections (ADOC) for 1,000 new

beds at CCA Red Rock Correctional Center. Construction is well underway to accommodate the additional inmate popu-lation and is expected to be completed in November.

“We’re excited to support our valued government partner, the Arizona Department of Corrections, with this expansion at our facility,” said Bruno Stolc, Red Rock warden. “We have a longstanding relationship of more than 10 years with ADOC. I believe the award of this contract is a testament to the strength of the relationship.”

The 97,243 sq. ft. expansion, which equates to nearly the size of two football fields, will cost approximately $34 million.

The project renovates and expands the eastern complex of the facility, adding eight 50-bed male dormitories as well as support and programing space meeting ADOC design stan-dards for medium custody inmates. Prior to the expansion, the facility rested on about 62 acres with 14 buildings and had a maximum resident capacity of 1,596.

In line with CCA’s commitment to offering meaningful reentry services, the new dorm housing units and support spaces contain areas for education, reentry programs, laundry, and work-based educations services. Electrical and computer training are examples of new vocational opportunities.

Michelle Cotter, CCA director of Educational Services, expressed her delight in the new program offerings at Red Rock.

BY BETHANY DAVIS & JAMES C. DILLARD

Red Rock Correctional Center Expands Its Footprint to Accommodate Partner Needs

GROWTH AND NEW OPPORTUNITIES IN ARIZONA

CCA.com/News4

“We are excited to expand the vocational offerings at Red Rock Correctional Center,” she said. “We know that quality edu-cation and vocational training are crucial to successful reentry — and we are always working to provide those opportunities for the individuals in our care.”

Located in Eloy, Ariz., Red Rock is a modern correctional facility constructed in accordance with American Correctional Association (ACA) standards and applicable building codes. Construction of the original building was completed in 2006 with upgrades to 1,000 beds in 2012.

Red Rock has covered areas on the recreation yard for use when it is raining. In addition to outdoor activities, inmates have access to TV viewing, including the option of purchasing their own TVs, library services, cards and board games. For each 1,000

“We know that quality education and vocational training are crucial

to successful reentry — and we are always working to provide

those opportunities for the individuals in our care.”

Michelle Cotter CCA director of Educational Services

The Red Rock Construction area in March 2016

Construction crews work on a hallway in the new programs area at Red Rock. The area includes space for new vocational programs as well as staff offices.

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bed compound, there are two full-court basketball courts, one softball diamond, two volleyball courts, and two covered shade spaces. Warehouse, dining, and visitation capabilities will also be increased with this project.

With the new construction, the perimeter fence, sand trap, anti-dig barrier, lighting, cameras, and ported cable systems are being expanded to secure new housing units. Remodel of existing housing units will include new interior sally port and day room divider walls to allow expansion into the adjacent general population unit.

Red Rock falls under the purview of Mike Nalley, CCA vice president of facility operations, Business Unit I. He noted that this expansion represents more than physical facility growth — it’s an expansion into new opportunities.

“What I think is most notable about this expansion is that we’re going to be in an even better position to help inmates with their community reentry needs,” Nalley said. “At the end of the day, that’s what is most important about what we do at CCA. We have such an important responsibility of ensuring that these individuals return to their communities better prepared than ever to live productive lives.”

In addition to all of these improvements, the facility is designed to be environment-friendly. The existing and expanded facility will conserve energy through lighting, heating, ventilation, and air conditioning, and plumbing by using low-flow plumbing fixtures, LED lighting, and high efficiency HVAC units. CCA also manages its own waste treatment and waste system on-site.

CCA is committed to offering flexible, cost-effective and professional correctional and reentry solutions to our govern-ment partners. The expansion at the Red Rock facility is another example of how CCA delivers on that commitment. n

A new housing unit under construction at Red Rock.

The expansion area (pictured left) will include space to be used for electrical and computer training, plus enough room for 1,000 additional beds.

New Facility Amenities

�260 new staff and visitor parking spaces

�2 new volleyball courts

�New fitness course

�New softball field with walking track

� Inmate TV access from bunk

CCA.com/News6

If we were to judge based solely on head-lines, it could be tempting to view recent weeks as cause for uncertainty about our

industry and CCA’s place in it. But headlines never tell the full story.

A look beyond the recent media static shows a CCA that’s better positioned than we’ve ever been to expand our core business, capitalize on

growth opportunities and leverage decades of expertise to further diversify the service and real estate solutions we offer our government partners.

This move to diversify the value we provide to customers has been underway for years. It began with our acquisition of CAI in 2013 and it has only accelerated since then. Our acquisi-tion of Avalon Correc-tional Services in 2015 and Correctional Management, Inc. this year make CCA the second largest community corrections provider in the country.

CCA will continue to seek these kinds of growth opportunities because they strengthen our company’s outlook and enhance and complement our existing mission of providing mean-ingful reentry services for the individuals in our care.

We’re also seeing growth within our core adult secure corrections busi-ness. CCA Red Rock Cor-rectional Center recently began work to expand its existing facility in order to accommodate a contract for 1,000 more beds with the Arizona Department of Corrections.

This new contract, which I encourage you to read more about in an accompanying article (page 4), will allow us to ramp-up vocational

training programs in conjunction with the facility’s population increase. As with our other correctional facilities, reentry continues to be a day-one priority at Red Rock.

CCA Wheeler Correctional Center and CCA Coffee Correctional Center are also expanding their facilities to accommodate larger and more robust reentry programs. Both facilities expect to complete con-struction of dedicated reentry centers before year’s end. It’s no surprise that Wheeler and Coffee will be recognized this year as the top two facilities in the entire state correctional system for number of GEDs earned by inmates in 2016.

At CCA Northwest New Mexico Correctional Facility (formerly CCA New Mexico Women’s Correctional Facility), they’re introducing an all-new strategy to make the facility more reentry-focused, all while

managing a population shift from female to male. This mission change is another example of CCA delivering flexible and innovative solu-tions for our government partners.

These are just a few of the recent developments that are cause for excite-ment here at CCA. I assure you — there are more to come in the very near future. None of them would be possible without you.

Thanks to your hard work and dedication, CCA has established a profes-sional reputation with our government partners. Every CCA employee, whether working in one of our adult corrections facilities or in one of our

community corrections locations, plays an important part in our company’s present — and future — successes.

Thank you for supporting CCA’s mission of service and for helping our company make a difference. n

THE EVP COLUMN

BY TONY GRANDE, EXECUTIVE VICE PRESIDENT AND CHIEF DEVELOPMENT OFFICER

CCA acquired two major community corrections providers within the last year, Avalon Correctional Services and Correctional Management, Inc. Pictured here is Austin Transitional Center, an Avalon facility located in Austin, Texas. These acquisitions make CCA the second largest community corrections provider in the country.

Diversification is Expanding Opportunities for CCA

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ENGAGEMENT SURVEY

BY JAMES C. DILLARD

YOUR VOICE

YOUR CCA

YOUR VOICE

YOUR CCA

2016

CCA.com/News8

Periodically gauging employee engagement is an important step in forming and sustaining a company’s culture. It’s about taking the pulse of the company — where are we strong, and

what opportunities do we have to make things better?The results are in, and the company is already taking steps to assess

how best to utilize the feedback received from the 2016 CCA Engage-ment Survey.

The spirit of the survey is based on the idea that the opinions of the employees are vital in determining the state of the company, both current and future. Your voice will help decide what your CCA looks like.

The survey also measured enablement, which essentially captures whether or not people have the tools they need to accomplish their work — or whether or not they have adequate support. Other dimen-sions addressed in the survey were teamwork, communication, job satisfaction, ethics, values, trust and more.

Steve Kaiser, CCA managing director of Learning and Development, was the liaison between IBM/Kenexa and CCA before, during and after the engagement survey. IBM served as the survey facilitator.

“My role was to coordinate with our vendor to design the survey, determine how the results would be shared, roll out the survey, and then initially sharing the results with leaders,” Kaiser said. “HR’s role going forward will be to assist operations with executing the improve-ment plans that the employees will help devise.”

IBM identified four broad areas that drive CCA’s engagement results: trust, involvement, recognition and future vision. All of these things, ultimately, tie back into keeping CCA facilities safe and secure.

“Our people are part of a very important mission and therefore deserve the very best place possible to work,” Kaiser said. “That, to me, is the essence of our goal for improving engagement. CCA is com-mitted to having good places for our people to work — the survey is designed to be a ‘temperature check’ on how people feel about their facilities.”

Going forward, results will be shared at the facility level to help leaders and their teams understand how they can take advantage of strengths and improve upon any weaknesses.

“Our leaders will engage with their staff to get a meaningful under-standing of their facility engagement results,” Kaiser said. “It’s our hope that this will lead to culture improvements at the facilities.”

Kaiser encourages people to actively engage in the improvement process.

“This year we are making a focused effort at getting input from staff in devising the plans to address the engagement issues at each facility,” he said. “Make your voice heard and get involved.”

In an email to the company, CCA President and Chief Executive Officer Damon Hininger expressed his appreciation to everyone who participated in the engagement survey and shared his thoughts con-cerning where CCA has opportunities for improvement.

“I want you to know that we take very seriously the feedback you have so graciously given us,” Hininger said. “The [results] provide useful information and insights, but are not ends unto themselves. Rather, they provide a starting point for a more robust and honest discussion — beyond the numbers — about how engaged and enabled we are, and how much more so we can be.”

Hininger pointed out how CCA’s 59 percent engagement score landed very closely to the average 60 percent score garnered by other public sector organizations who participated in IBM surveys. And while it was not a true apples to apples comparison, it was

nevertheless encouraging to see that CCA’s overall engage-ment score for 2016 was 15 points higher than with the 2013 survey.

Kaiser noted that CCA continues to have facilities that have very strong engagement results, including with some of our newly-acquired community reentry facilities.

“This shows that healthy engagement in a corrections environment is absolutely achievable,” Kaiser said.

Engagement surveys are, of course, put in place partly to address any need for changes. The 2013 survey influenced a couple changes at CCA.

“CCA University was in part instituted to address survey feedback that we needed more professional development opportunities,” Kaiser said. “The new uniforms are also tied to feedback from staff through the survey. Those are at the company level, and there are undoubtedly dozens of improvements that facilities have made.”

The ultimate purpose of building a high-engagement team is to promote an environment where people enjoy their work.

“We want you to love working for CCA,” Hininger said. “We want you to be proud of the noble and important service you render as a correctional professional to your community. And from the engagement survey, unlike the 2013 results, I was happy to learn the vast majority of employees indicated they are proud to work for CCA.” n

• More than 8,500 employees participated, or 61 percent.

• There were 58 questions, plus two open-ended questions.

• There were 17 dimensions measured.

• 69 percent of employees feel CCA has an outstanding future.

• 60 percent of employees see a clear link between their work and CCA’s vision.

• 58 percent of employees feel like they are a part of the CCA family.

• 71 percent of employees are proud to work for CCA.

• The highest engaged facility is CCA Houston Processing Center with an 81 percent score.

Engagement by the Numbers

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When was the last time you were recognized on the job for doing things the right way? How did it make you feel?

During the Ethics & Compliance training sessions I lead at facilities across the company, we talk about how being appreciated for your work enhances your work performance. When your time and effort is valued by your co-workers and you feel that you are an important contributor to the mission at your location, you will be more engaged in your daily duties. Each CCA employee plays an important role in the ethical opera-tion of their facility, and we need everyone working at their best.

Sometimes, though, we get bogged down in our daily work routine and take ethical behavior for granted — in ourselves and in our co-work-ers. If you spend hours at a time without contact from your co-workers, that isolation might make you doubt how important your role is. You might begin to believe that your performance doesn’t matter. We need to encourage practices that keep this type of attitude from taking shape. Taking time to recognize your co-workers for “doing it right” goes a long way toward making sure those positive behaviors continue.

Often, we talk about how to handle disrespect, or how to report misconduct concerns. Certainly, there are consequences for unethi-cal behavior and pointing this out is a necessary part of a strong ethical culture. However, we also have many staff members who go the extra mile to ensure our facilities are operated in an ethical manner — employees who make every round and perform every check, even when no one is watching; employees who take the high road and stay calm, instead of being drawn into a confrontation; employees who shine as examples of how to treat everyone with respect, even when respect is not always returned. When we highlight these ethical behaviors and recognize the people behind them, it encourages others to follow their lead.

The CCA family is made up of employees who care about each other and take pride in the way they work, so you won’t have to look far to find a co-worker who deserves some credit. What will you do to show recog-nition for co-workers who are setting a good example and strengthening CCA’s ethical culture? n

THE ETHICS CORNER

FOR ETHICAL BEHAVIORBY DEAN WEAVER, DIRECTOR OF ETHICS & COMPLIANCE TRAINING AND COMMUNICATION

The Ethics Line is available 24/7 By phone: 1-866-757-4448

Online: www.cca.ethicspoint.com

Showing Appreciation

CCA.com/News10

Things You Need to Know AboutCYBERSECURITY

There’s a real threat facing CCA each day, and every employee has a role in keeping it at bay. This threat comes from cybercriminals trying to invade CCA’s computer network.

Our IT security team works hard at keeping us safe, but no mat-ter how effective or expensive the security tools protecting our network, there’s no way to eliminate the risk caused by one careless user. CCA’s network is threatened each time an employee clicks an unfamiliar link or opens a questionable attachment — and just a single mistake could cause substantial data loss.

This is why cybersecurity awareness is so important. In the same way we work to keep contraband out of our facilities, we must strive to keep cybercriminals out of our network.

Here are five ways to do your part in maintaining cybersecurity:

If you suspect you have fallen victim to a cyberattack, contact the Technology Helpdesk immediately.

1. DON’T TAKE THE PHISHING BAITPhishing attacks are one of the ways hackers lure unsuspecting victims into downloading viruses or disclosing sensitive information like credit card details. To avoid these scams, don’t click on links in emails from unknown senders, and look closely at the web address (URL) of websites before you visit them.

3. RECOGNIZE THE RISKS OF RANSOMWARERansomware is a type of malicious virus that blocks access to a computer system until a sum of money is paid. It can be installed on your device though the phishing tactics described above, or through an infected software download.

2. KEEP THUMB DRIVES UNDER YOUR THUMBThumb drives that have been used outside of CCA can be infected with viruses and malware. Bringing them to work for use on CCA computers can pose threats to the network. Be sure to keep the thumb drives for use at work and at home separate.

4. YOUR PASSWORD: DON’T PASS IT ONYour password is the doorway to the CCA network; never give it to anyone. Remember, no one at CCA will ever ask for your password. Also, don’t enter your password on public computers, like those at business centers, hotels, coffee shops, etc.; malware is prevalent on public computers, which increases the risk of having your password stolen.

5. CHANGE IS GOOD – ESPECIALLY WITH PASSWORDSIt’s important for employees to change their passwords often. All employees have access to CCA’s Password Management website — you can use it to change your password or unlock your account, which eliminates the need to have a supervisor submit a Helpdesk request. To enroll or change your password anytime visit MyCCA, hover over the Resources tab (in the top right hand corner) and select Password Mgmt.

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Toys for Tots. Horticulture classes for inmates. Bake sales. A fantastic team. These are a few of the features of CCA Red Rock Correctional Center located in Eloy, Ariz. In its 10 years of operation, the employees as well as inmates have blessed the city of Eloy tremendously.

Inmates at Eloy give back to society with fundraisers through local vendors, and all the money raised goes to good use. Yolanda Rodriguez, Warden Bruno Stolc’s secretary, said, “Currently, we have an inmate fundraiser that will be for the third quarter with proceeds going to the Eloy School District and the Toltec Elementary District. These proceeds will be for school supplies.”

Rodriguez, who has been at CCA for 17 years and at Red Rock since its genesis, said that other places that have benefitted from inmate fundraisers include the Arizona Special Olympics,

BY CHRISTINA VINSON

Red Rock recreation area.

CCA.com/News12

LIVE HERE WORK HERE

RED ROCK CORRECTIONAL

CENTEREloy, Arizona

the Phoenix Dream Center (women’s/family shelter) and the Pinal County Victims Impact Services (domestic violence shelter).

All of the Red Rock prioritizes giving back. For employees, that includes involvement with the City of Eloy Toy Drive. The drive benefits Eloy children in need during the Christmas season — though employees are equally blessed by it. Staff also donate to the local food bank. “The staff at the bank have been very thankful to us,” Rodriguez said. “There have been times when their shelves have been empty and we’ve come in to save the day.” The facility also donates holiday dinners to families in the community and last year benefitted the Eloy School District with coloring books and stocking stuffers.

Their community involvement also includes a quarterly com-munity relations luncheon that each of the four CCA facilities in Eloy host once a quarter. Red Rock hosts in September, and

local businesses, including the surrounding emergency services of Department of Public Safety, local police departments (Eloy, Casa Grande, Coolidge) and Pinal County Sheriff, come in and see what Red Rock is all about. Rodriguez noted, “In the past, we’ve had open tours for the community, after the awarding of the Arizona contract, to come in and see the upgrades and expansion of the facility.”

Red Rock’s inmates participate in numerous programs including horticulture, various education and vocational pro-grams, and Addictions Treatment Program. The horticulture pro-gram is an extension of a program at the University of Arizona in Tucson. Once inmates complete the program, they receive their certification in horticulture as a master gardener. It’s ultimately a “chance for the inmates to plant something, to take care of it and watch it grow,” said Rodriguez.

Main Street in the City of Eloy

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Eloy City Hall

The facility welcomed some new graduates in June.

Pictured are Kevin Johnson (center) with Julian Nunez and his sister Tierany Nunez during National Correctional Officers and Employees Week.

Warden Stolc speaks with Red Rock employees at a staff recall.

As anyone can see, Red Rock is special, and its heart for both Eloy and those less fortunate is clearly demonstrated through the actions of its employees. Carol Ybarra, Human Resources assistant, has been there for nine years — and she attributes the strong com-munal sense to the staff.

She notes that employees at Red Rock are “the best” as they’ve weathered contractual and other changes over the years. They’ve also seen tragedy among their own. “We had an employee’s house burn down,” Rodriguez said. “ Red Rock came together to help them out. When another employee lost his son, Warden Stolc visited them at home to give them support.”

In addition, employees have painted houses for the elderly, cleaned the local highway, conducted winter coat drives, and sponsored local families at Christmas. “This is just a little of what we have done - I could keep going and going,” Rodriguez said. “We have great employees here at the ROCK.” n

Red Rock facility, front

CCA.com/News14

LIVE HERE WORK HERE

ARIZONA

Carol Wallace has transferred from Central Arizona Detention Center to La Palma Correctional Center as chief of unit management.

Mike Wallace has transferred from La Palma Correctional Center to Central Arizona Detention Center as chief of unit management.

FACILITY SUPPORT CENTER

Wendy Ashe has been promoted to director of Clinical Services. Previously, she was health services administrator at Metro-Davidson County Detention Facility.

FLORIDA

Rafael Vergara has been pro-moted to warden at Lake City Cor-rectional Facility. Previously, he was assistant warden at Tallahatchie County Correctional Facility.

GEORGIA

Donald “Steve” Dupree has been named chief of security at Wheeler Correctional Facility, where he previously served as chief of unit management.

Tina Hodge has been named chief of unit management at Wheeler Correctional Facility, where she previously served as chief of security.

Troy Pollock has transferred from La Palma Correctional Center to Stewart Detention Center as assis-tant warden.

INDIANA

Ernest Medow II has been pro-moted to chief of security at Marion County Jail II. Previously, he was Learning & Development manager at Crossroads Correctional Center.

OKLAHOMA

Tracy Roles has been promoted to facility director at Tulsa Transitional Center, where he previously served as assistant facility director.

TENNESSEE

Johanna Veal has been promoted to chief of unit management at Trousdale Turner Correctional Center. Previously, she was assistant chief of security at Lake Erie Correctional Institution.

John Waters has been named chief of security at Silverdale Detention Facilities. Previously, he was assistant chief of security at the U.S. Army’s Disciplinary Barracks in Fort Leavenworth, Kansas.

TEXAS

Orlando Perez has transferred from Willacy County State Jail to Laredo Processing Center as warden.

William Dalius Jr. has been named managing director of Purchasing. Previously, he was chief executive officer at Perimeter Management Consulting.

Amy Fuqua has been named director of Revenue & Cash Cycle Accounting. Previously, she was director of Financial Planning.

David Hodge has been named senior director of Program Manage-ment (Technology). Previously, he was senior associate/senior pro-gram manager at Booz Allen Hamil-ton Management and Technology

Consulting Firm.

Scott Irwin has been named executive vice president, General Counsel. Previously, he was senior vice president, General Counsel and secretary at Associated Estates Realty Corporation.

Sanders Lowery has been named assistant general counsel, Labor & Employment. Previously, she was associate general counsel at Aon Corporation.

Allen Rachaphoumy has been named senior director of CCA University. Previously, he was senior manager of Learning & Development at Under Armour.

Jeff Rainey has been promoted to managing director of Employee Relations. Previously, he was senior director of Human Resources.

Since 2006: � More than 72,000 contributions have been made.

� More than $4.1 million has been raised.

� An average of 32% of employees have given annually.

� More than 6,100 employees have received assistance.

� More than $3.6 million has been distributed to employees.

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NEW FACES NEW PLACES

Michelle Sides, a registered nurse at CCA West Tennessee Detention Facility, was recognized with the CCA Distinguished Service Award for helping the victims of a serious vehicle accident. According to her warden, Arvil Chapman, her actions in responding to the accident brought great credit to herself and The CCA Way.

BY CHRISTINA VINSON

Distinguished Service Award Recipient

Shares Her Story

Michelle SidesRegistered Nurse, CCA West Tennessee Detention Facility

“I am a nurse; helping people in need is who I am,” said Michelle Sides, a registered nurse at CCA West Tennessee Detention Facility.

Sides has been a nurse for 18 years and has served at the CCA facil-ity in Mason, Tenn. since 2013. Her nursing mentality is engrained in her very being, and it most recently showed when she was on vacation in Australia.

Sides, who is originally from Australia, was visiting family with her 6-year-old daughter in South Yunderup, Western Australia. During her visit, she and her family decided to head out for a trip to play mini golf in the city. While travelling on the Kwinana Freeway, they came upon an accident that seemed to have just occurred.

“A bus had crossed the median of the freeway and hit a SUV, forcing it off the road. The SUV was partially under the bus,” Sides said.

Without hesitation, she asked her parents to pull over. “I always stop at an accident if I can,” she said. “I am of the belief that I should, as I am trained to help, and I hope that if it was ever me or my family in an accident, a nurse driving by would stop to help us.”

When Sides approached the SUV, she was informed that the adult (the mother) in the SUV was deceased and that her 4-year-old child had just been pulled from the car.

Sides immediately went to the child, and with the assistance of another nurse on scene, determined that she had a broken leg and broken arm. As they worked to splint the little girl’s injuries, Sides said, “I stayed at the child’s head and maintained C-Spine precautions and did my best to keep her calm.”

She explained that during the incident, she was in “nurse mode” while assessing injuries. Also crucial was her response to the mother’s death in front of the child, and she said, “I tried to show no emotion about the mother being deceased as the child kept asking for her

mother. Obviously I wasn’t going to tell her what happened to her mother, I just kept reassuring her.”

An ambulance arrived 15 minutes before other emergency responders arrived, and the child was taken to the hospital.

“After it was all over, I was a little shaken up and tearful as I looked at my daughter in the car and thought how quickly that little girl went from having a mother to not having one,” she said.

She said that her job as a nurse at CCA has honed her experience in responding to emergencies on a regular basis. Because of her training, she was able to evaluate the situation while staying calm and focused.

West Tennessee Warden Arvil Chapman had nothing but positive things to say about his RN. “West Tennessee Detention Facility is one of our smaller facilities with a smaller employee base. As a result, Michelle not only managed the role of a shift RN but is able to fulfill some of the medical department duties of multiple employees in our larger facilities. Her skill and caring for our detainee population provides exceptional value to our facility.”

He added, “Michelle’s actions while visiting her home country of Australia bring great credit to herself and the CCA Way. Her actions on that day and every day are one of many examples of the positive and ever-growing employee engagement at West Tennessee.”

Sides says she is honored to receive the Distinguished Service Award and added, “I would do it all again tomorrow for no award; it is just what I do.” n

CCA.com/News16

N ever leave a man behind — it’s part of the Soldier’s Creed. For one former soldier, now an employee at CCA Red Rock Correctional Center, that sentiment carries new meaning.

While there is no battlefield in Eloy, Ariz., numerous veterans’ gravesites have sadly been “left behind.”

John Meyer is a security threat group officer at Red Rock and a 22-year Army veteran. He has made it his mission to restore as many gravesites as possible in the area. For him, it’s a way to express a final act of gratitude for the service these men and women gave to their nation.

“I have seen firsthand how neglected veterans’ graves can be,” Meyer said. “In Pinal County, many graves are in serious need of rehabilitation.”

Meyer’s mission began after he attended the funeral of a fellow vet-eran. He was struck by the condition of the graves nearby and decided he had to do something about it.

“At the burial site, I noticed several unkept grave markers or sites that were completely overgrown,” Meyer said. “As a veteran, I was disappointed that our service members were being treated that way and decided to do some research.”

Meyer learned about a nationwide project to restore veterans’ gravesites called Mission Restore Bronze. The group provided the train-ing and a list of supplies he would need to begin grave restoration on his own. Red Rock donated $500 to help get the project off the ground.

“We have about 60 veterans here at Red Rock,” Meyer said. “Many

of them are also involved and will show up to help out as well as other staff members.”

The process has three basic steps: clean, paint and restore. The site is cleaned of any debris and overgrown weeds. Then the grave marker is painted and restored to its former glory — giving life to a name that may have been hidden for many years. The process is also protective — shielding the marker from the elements for years to come.

“When people think of military or national cemeteries, Arlington comes to mind with its perfectly-lined headstones and well-maintained

sites,” Meyer said. “Unfortunately, not all cemeteries are held to the same standard.”

Nationally, the deterioration of veterans’ gravesites is a real problem. A 2013 audit of 3.2 million gravesites by the National Cemetery Admin-istration of the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs found that there are a multitude of issues including crum-bling headstones, overgrown weeds, debris — even vandalism and theft.

Meyer’s group relies on donations of funds or supplies to do their work.

The group also holds special restore days at significant times, like Purple Heart Day on August 6 when the group worked to specifically restore the gravesites of Purple Heart recipients. Meyer says he is proud of their work and thankful for the support he’s received.

“My goal is to restore as many graves as possible at no cost to the families of our fallen service members,” Meyer said. “I am proud to be a veteran and proud to be part of the CCA family.” n

John Meyer, security threat group officer at Red Rock and 22-year Army veteran, has made it his mission to restore as many veteran gravesites as possible in his area.

The process to restore the veteran’s grave marker has three basic steps: clean, paint and restore.

RestorationRestoration& Patriotism

BY BETHANY DAVIS

17CCA.com/News

Barbara McGarity

Leavenworth Detention Center

Evelyn Jones

Hardeman County Correctional Center

Angel Arredondo

Houston Processing Center

Alejandro Figueroa III

Florence Correctional Center

Jason Wilkes

Hardeman County Correctional Center

Ignacio Sanchez

Laredo Processing Center

Russell Washburn

Citrus County Detention Facility

Angela Jackson

Davis Correctional Facility

Maria Figueroa

Eloy Detention Center

Darrell Jones

Metro-Davidson County Detention Facility

Timothy Spaulding

Central Arizona Detention Center

Frank Cooper


Angel Madrid


Robert Levario

La Palma Correctional Center

Brigham Sloan

Lake Erie Correctional Institution

20 YEARS

Barbara Burleson

Bartlett State Jail

Suzanne Ploof


Jameson Chamberlain

Facility Support Center

Jackson Garner

Facility Support Center

Wanda Edwards


George Story


Patricia Thomas

Eden Detention Center

Bruce Woods

South Central Correctional Center

SERVICE AWARDS

Freddie Aguirre


Francisco Garcia


15 YEARS

William Medina

Bent County Correctional Facility

John Lemke


Ronnie Good

Bent County Correctional Facility

Louisa Evenson


Angel Lagunas


Rebecca Bishop


Racheal Blea

Cibola County Correctional Center

Judith Smith

Coffee Correctional Facility

Bryan Johnson

Crossroads Correctional Center

Frankie Willis

Citrus County Detention Facility

Arthur Hutto

Coffee Correctional Facility

Brenda Killian


Kathleen Davis

Crossroads Correctional Center

Shanda Kilgore


Annette Garcia


Tammy Reid

Leavenworth Detention Center

Cindy Doak

Cimarron Correctional Facility

Eddie Perez

Elizabeth Detention Center

Jose Lorona


Candice Haskins


Manuel Rodriguez


Elizabeth Porter


Robert Magallanez


Robert Gastelum


Lupe Villarreal

Eden Detention Center

CCA.com/News18

Maitland Dethrow


Kevin Staggs


Edna Pouges

Red Rock Correctional Center

Ragina Shaw

Saguaro Correctional Center

Portia Brown

Marion County Jail II

Beverly Soria

Otay Mesa Detention Center

Bobbi Roscoe Bryan


James Cartwright


Brian Doser

Silverdale Detention Facilities

Zandro BlasKevin Fisher


Juan Ibarra

Sean Brantley


Cornelia Hunt

South Texas Family Residential Center

Ysabel Perry


Susan Fillingim

West Tennessee Detention Facility

Nevada Southern Detention Center


Gwendolyn Ehret


Fred Lloyd


Charlie Williams

Wheeler Correctional Facility

Annie Sims

Wheeler Correctional Facility

Glenda Mask

Whiteville Correctional Facility

Gerice Boyle

Whiteville Correctional Facility

Bent County Correctional Facility Michelle Trujillo

Bradshaw State Jail Aretha Smith

Dorothy Osborne

Facility Support Center Robert Jett

Stephen Baxley Jr. Stacey Cason

James Szychowski Lisa Davis

Rebecca Gray

Central Arizona Detention Center David Thornton

Vanessa Villa Jose Bojorquez Jr.

James Nichols Kelvin Peace

Carmen Samberg Nazila Raheb

Nenita Bungay Gabriel Montijo Jr.

Marsha Moreno

Cibola County Correctional Center Wendy Baca Andre Perry

Cimarron Correctional Facility Demarco Johnson

Citrus County Detention Facility Darrell Green

Rosemary Whatley Donald Lake

William Roberson Jr. Lucy Avila

Phyllis Lauer John Edstorm Carlton Frank Daniel Savage

Paul Slaght James Twitty

Coffee Correctional Facility Cindy Roberts

Pamela Williamson

Crowley County Correctional Facility Donald Sisneros Thomas Winfrey

Jo Gonzalez Jesse Howells

Rosann Jaramillo Jackie Pacino Eddie Tenorio

Davis Correctional Facility William Witthouse Jr.

Correctional Treatment Facility Ramon Rosas

Eden Detention Center Jose Contreras Irene Simpson

Annise Cain

Elizabeth Detention Center Bryin Allen

Maria Heredia

Eloy Detention Center Terry Hoover Jr.

Natividad Patena Jr. Gerald Rico

Mari-Margaret Arroyos Laura Carrisalez Matthew Fouch

Jason McCoy Gary Wray

Maria Gutierrez Aaron Hargrove Leticia Valdivia

Antonio Valenzuela Robert Vargas

Florence Correctional Center James Leighton

Jorge Lopez Karyne Esmon Lanell Holton

Enrique Lorona Christian Ochoa

Robert Vega

Susan Wallace Michael Zazueta

Kathy Mizda

Houston Processing Center Tonya Johnson Anthalone Kirt

La Palma Correctional Center Art Anderson Nancy Gambs

Lindsey State Jail Lelia Cotton Glenn Pierce

McRae Correctional Facility Brandi Edge

Northwest New Mexico Correctional Center Alberta Kanawite

Northeast Ohio Correctional Center Ellen Slattery Maurice Bass

Bernice Garcia Marisol Gonzalez

Darryl Heavrin

Red Rock Correctional Center Christopher Mora

Regina Shelton Dante Henry

Kimberly Spencer Fansy Calvin Justin Turner

Arminda Valdez

Saguaro Correctional Center Richard Acuna

Aldo Torres Herbert Giddens

Richard Holley Pamela Hughes

Trousdale Turner Correctional Center James Briggs

Otay Mesa Detention Center David Landin

Danny Williams

10 YEARS

19CCA.com/News

Lisa Apablasa Ronald Evans

James Hopper Jose Sabino-Alvarez

Stephanie Owens

Silverdale Detention Facilities Robert Ransom

South Central Correctional Center Jerry Brown Robyn Todd

South Texas Family Residential Center Robert Howard

Mellenease Spann Brian Torres

Andre Johnson

Stewart Detention Center Stephanie Dunston

Carmen Coy Wendy Adams Jeffrey Carney

Kim Ceaser Koreca Eleby Cynthia Lucas

Cynthia Mason Latoya Protho

Maxine Richardson Monica Starling Margarat Webb Gerald Weldin

Jennifer Williams Shirley Allen Lora Baker

Angelia Bennett Selessia Berry

Droudred Blackmon Stephen Caldwell

Billy Carson Claudia Crawford

Juliette Drew Yvette Drew

Rodney Hayes Terrence Lane Margie Lewis

Derek Paramore Laura Powell John Riggins

Marilyn Thomas Thymeishia Wright

Nicole Bennett Pamela Culbreth

Jeanie Grant Carol Gudes

Pamela Jones Beverly Protho Keith Robbins Vickie Walker

Jennifer Fedderick Alice Jones

Betty Smiley Tameekia Alston

Lucinda Ashe Mildred Bass

Stephanie Brown Jones Yolanda Dodson Chinhui Dupuy

Angela Ellington Latoya Gainer

Arkesha Lockett Jeffrey Majors Jr. Sherico Majors Demetrus Price

Shelia Prince-Walton Jeffery Smith

Calvin Thomas

Lakiesha Thornton Tonyetta Waye Bertha Williams

T. Don Hutto Residential Center Henry Arguelles Jr.

Essie Bass Karen Boecker Glenna Crain Jackie Morris Craig Snider

Tallahatchie County Correctional Facility Ruby Hardmon Tara Robinson

Torrance County Detention Facility Justin Duff

Shelia Freeman

Webb County Detention Center Jose Morales David Garza

West Tennessee Detention Facility Sandra Heard

Gwendolyn Speed Kenneth Heyward

Wheeler Correctional Facility Pamela Snead

Manella Hodges McLemore Jana Smith

Whiteville Correctional Facility John Severson

Shewanna Gray-Cross Terry Davis

Willacy County State Jail Yolanda Zavala

10YEARS

(continued)

SERVICE AWARDS

ACA ACCREDITATIONCongratulations to the following facilities on recently being recommended for accreditation by the American Correctional Association and their high audit scores:

Facility ACA ScoreCentral Arizona Detention Center 99.3%

Cibola County Correctional Center 99.3%

Cimarron Correctional Center 99%

Elizabeth Detention Center 99.6%

Houston Processing Center 99.5%

Lake City Correctional Facility* 100%

Webb County Detention Center 98.4%

Wheeler Correctional Facility 99.5%

TRACKING TEAM SAFETYThe following facilities have gone more than a year without a lost-time accident (as of press time):

Facility

Date of Last Lost-Time Accident

Citrus County Detention Facility Feb 19, 2015

Davis Correctional Center May 20, 2015

Eden Detention Center Feb. 28, 2015

Jenkins Correctional Center Dec. 10, 2013

Kit Carson Correctional Center May 17, 2015

Laredo Processing Center June 24, 2015

Leavenworth Detention Center June 4, 2015

Northwest New Mexico Correctional Center Feb. 4, 2014

Red Rock Correctional Center Oct. 31, 2013

Wheeler Correctional Facility April 3, 2015

Willacy County State Jail May 13, 2013

APPLAUSE

*Asterisk denotes facilities that won appeals at the recent ACA panel hearings and now have higher scores than previously reported.

CCA.com/News20

CCA Crowley County Correctional Facility welcomed a large group of new employees in August.

CCA Lindsey State Jail welcomed several new employees in July.

Welcome to the CCA Family!

21CCA.com/News

ACROSS AMERICA

The facility hosted employee engagement events at a local water park for employees and their families. A cannonball contest was held with movie theater prize packs going to the top three contestants.

FlorenceFlorence, AZ

The Education department was recognized for having the top number of GED completions in the State of Colorado, and the Mental Health department was recognized for receiving an excellent rating from the state for their documentation efforts. Both departments were treated to a special party in their honor.

BentLas Animas, CO

Steve Leon, left, and Ryan Vermillion represented the facility at a job fair in Muskogee, Okla.

CimarronCushing, OK

Facility employee Nelso Landavazo-Felix was recently sworn in as a U.S. citizen.

EloyEloy, AZ

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The facility recently sponsored the Home with Heroes golf tournament. Home with Heroes is an organization that provides needed services and programs for veterans. The Adams team included Luther Gilbert, George Cupit, Steve Niles and Emilee Beach.

AdamsNatchez, MS

The facility SORT held a back-to-school drive for the Eloy School District.

La PalmaEloy, AZ

CCA Colorado facilities participated in a softball tournament in Ordway, Colo. Teams competing in the tournament included CCA Kit Carson Correctional Center, CCA Bent County Correctional Facility and CCA Crowley County Correctional Facility. After a six-game tournament, Kit Carson won the tournament.

Kit CarsonBurlington, CO

CCA President and CEO Damon Hininger visited the facility in June. He's pictured here speaking with staff.

McRaeMcRae, GA

Warden Bruno Stolc donned floaties, a life preserver and goggles in preparation for the first big rainstorm of the year in Eloy.

Red RockEloy, AZ

The facility graduated a large class of GED graduates in the spring.

SaguaroEloy, AZ

CCA.com/News22

ACROSS AMERICABU

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The facility softball team is pictured here. They've named themselves The Slammers.

CrossroadsShelby, MT

Members from the Saints Prison Ministry played a friendly baseball game with inmates. According to their website, the ministry aims to reach inmates with the gospel of Jesus Christ through athletics.

JenkinsMillen, GA

A cookout was held to celebrate the facility's 100 percent ACA score.

Lake CityLake City, FL

The facility welcomed six new employees to their team in August.

Marion County Jail IIIndianapolis, IN

Inmates raised $600 through a pizza fund raiser to be donated to Roberta's Place, a local shelter for women and children who have been the victims of domestic abuse. Pictured (from left) are Sally Sanchez, Roberta's Place director, Julia Dorman, chief of Unit Management, Rhonda Ayers, chief of Security, and Jessica Cooper, Roberta's Place administrative coordinator.

New MexicoGrants, NM

The Dog Head Fire in the mountains west of Torrance County Detention Facility burned more than 18,000 acres. Facility staff, along with many others, worked together to support those affected by the blaze. Among these efforts was the bagging of sand to slow any potential flooding in the aftermath of the blaze.

TorranceEstancia, NM

The Residential Drug Abuse Program (RDAP) staff has had a successful year with many inmates graduating from the RDAP.

TallahatchieTutwiler, MS

A snow cone day was held in July at the facility to thank the staff members for their hard work. Felicia Rogers is shown here enjoying her cone.

WheelerAlamo, GA

Carrie Poust, far left, and Alice Yettaw, far right, delivered more than 50 adult and baby lap blankets with hats and diaper bags made by inmates to local nonprofits. They're pictured here at the Citrus Abuse Shelter Association. Donations also went to the Citrus Memorial Hospital Hospice Division and Baby Block, and local animal shelter.

CitrusLecanto, FL

Facility employees supported the City of Nicholls Summer Meal Program, which provides summer lunches to community children for the first few weeks of summer. They did their best to keep the children entertained while they waited for their meals to arrive.

CoffeeNicholls, GA

Kevin Brown, facility chief of security, worked the grill on Independence Day for the staff members who spent the holiday working.

BartlettBartlett, Texas

Felicia Kobernik received a certificate of appreciation, a pin, and a coin in recognition of her efforts in locating contraband in her facility. She's pictured, center, shaking hands with Paul Lewton, unit manager.

Lake ErieConneaut, OH

During a move, Rondal Minks and his two daughters lost all of their possessions when their truck caught on fire. Jeff Wagner with New River Church (who volunteers at the Lindsey State Jail) took up a collection to benefit the family and presented Minks with a check, an open heart and open arms.

LindseyJacksboro, TX

23CCA.com/News

ACROSS AMERICABU

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ElizabethElizabeth, N.J.

Learning and Development manager Kassandria Richards was recognized for garnering a 100 percent score for the fourth time on an FSC operational audit.

Working through the heat, mud-filled trenches and other obstacles, staff members Kelli Perez, Vanessa Guzman, Natalie Nelson, Paris Sealee and Lisa Mizer completed the Gladiator Rock'N Run challenge.

Otay MesaSan Diego, CA

The Summer barbeque Celebration for staff members was held at Frio Regional Park in Pearsall, Texas in July. Staff and their families enjoyed catered barbeque Texas brisket, along with sausage grilled by the administrative duty officer staff and side dishes brought by attendees.

South Texas Dilley, TX

The facility was recognized by the Aldine Independent School District at its annual Business Partner Luncheon. For the past seven years, Houston has supported Aldine Francis Elementary School Elementary, by providing donations from employees to benefit the school.

HoustonHouston, TX

The employee engagement committee hosted the annual Employee Engagement Picnic in June. This year's theme was a Family Luau. More than 150 staff and family members attended.

Nevada SouthernPahrump, NV

The facility engagement committee hosted a facility picnic at Wollman Park, which features an aquatics center. Employees had access to the pool during the picnic and enjoyed snow cones and a cookout.

LeavenworthLeavenworth, KS

The Facility Duty Officer program has increased engagement throughout the facility. The FDOs complete a week of being on-call support to shift supervisors, complete meal monitoring functions, complete rounds throughout the facility and also complete a weekend duty assignment. Those pictured as part of the program are (from left, back row) Clyde Roberts, Shana English; (from left, front row) Nekole Kanavos, Jonathan Sims, Floyd Davis Jr., Christine Ferguson and Dennis Higgins. Other FDOs (not pictured) are Karen DeLaRoche, Corey Moon and Bianca Hudson.

SilverdaleChattanooga, TN

A cookout event was hosted by the facility Employee Engagement Committee to celebrate the facility's 10th anniversary.

StewartLumpkin, GA

To celebrate Independence Day, all shifts were treated to snow cones and cotton candy.

T. Don HuttoTaylor, TX

SORT and other staff members participated in the 4th of July parade in Hartsville, Tenn.

Trousdale TurnerHartsville, TN

Vernet Duncan was recognized in July as she retired from the company after 19 years of service. She's pictured here with Warden Grady Perry.

HardemanWhiteville, TN

Staff members were treated to snow cones, courtesy of their engagement committee.

Metro-DavidsonNashville, TN

Staff members participated and volunteered in the 7th Annual Butterfly Run/Walk to benefit the Butterfly Foundation. The mission of the Butterfly Foundation is to give financial assistance to families in Wayne County, Tenn. and the surrounding areas, who have children with life-threatening or life-altering illnesses.

South CentralClifton, TN

CCA.com/News24

ACROSS AMERICACO

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The 2nd annual reentry resource fair was hosted at the facility in June. The event was put together by Angela Johnson-Sheffield, the facility career development specialist. Jackson City Councilman Johnny Dodd was the guest speaker and 23 vendors attended the event.

WhitevilleWhiteville, TN

The facility celebrated their suc-cessful audits with the American Correctional Association and the Prison Rape Elimination Act with a luncheon for staff.

WebbLaredo, TX

Facility detainees crocheted hats, scarves, pillows, blankets, foodies, and handbags to be donated to such organizations as St. Jude hospital, Galloway Health and Rehabilitation, Le Bonheur Children's Hospital and Covington Care Nursing and Rehabilitation Center. Tequitta Bell facilitates the program.

West TennesseeMason, TN

An American Heart Association CPR information class was held, with a large group of employees participating.

Facility Support CenterNashville, TN

TransCor celebrated their 26th anniversary of service within the private prisoner transportation industry Aug. 1. To date, TransCor has safely transported more than 1.5 million prisoners and remains the nation's largest long-distance private prisoner transportation company.

TransCor AmericaNashville, TN

The facility was awarded a contract with the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation. Renovations are ongoing to prepare for the arrival of their new residents.

CAI – BostonSan Diego, CA

Employees worked with the Texas Department of Criminal Justice Reentry, Reintegration Division to conduct a job fair for facility residents. About 90 residents signed up to attend and were transported to Bill Priest Campus at El Centro College.

DallasHutchins, TX

Through the Adopt-A-Highway program, four facility staff members and six residents volunteered their time to clean up their adopted section Colorado Highway 93.

BoulderBoulder, CO

Facility employees Rory Gryniewicz and Stephen Silbermann met with a representative from the organization A Future and a Hope, to thank her for the organization's efforts in helping Centennial residents find housing.

CentennialDenver, CO

Chef Jeff Henderson, a motivational speaker from the Food Network, visited the facility to speak with residents about the importance of preparing themselves for community reentry.

Turley Tulsa, OK

The center participated in the Adopt-a-Block program facilitated by the Downtown Development Authority for the city. The facility worked with their residents to clean and maintain three blocks and alleys through the summer months. They were awarded the Gold Star of Excellence for the best maintained area.

CheyenneCheyenne, WY

The Sexual Assault Response Team (SART) was established as part of the facility's efforts to prevent sexual assault and provide a safe and healthy environment for all staff members and clients. SART members include Deborah Gardiner, Dawn Edwards, Sarah Davalos and Ernest Ramirez.

Corpus ChristiCorpus Christi, TX

Facility residents donated more than 500 items of school supplies to the St. Vrain Valley School District to help provide for needy families. To say 'thank you' to the residents for their generosity, facility staff plan to hold a barbeque for the residents and their family members.

Longmont Longmont, CO

Program staff managed an on-site resource and job fair. Employers conducted on-site resident interviews and made immediate employment offers. Also in attendance were representatives from housing referral services and U.S. Probation. More than 50 residents participated in and benefited from the event.

CAI – Ocean ViewSan Diego, CA

25CCA.com/News

BY JAMES C. DILLARD

CCAssist Fund Milestone:

It’s no surprise that the CCAssist Fund has been around for 10 years. When you have a program that has helped so many people, it tends to be something that is valued and kept.At its core, CCAssist is a program that is by employees and

for employees. It’s about bringing a little hope into the lives of individuals who may otherwise be struggling.

The CCAssist TeamCCA leaders such as Steve Groom, former General Counsel,

and Brian Hammonds, Finance vice president have been involved in supporting CCAssist. Recently, Cole Carter, associate general counsel, was named CCAssist president, taking over from Scott Craddock, CCA Ethics and Compliance Officer.

Carter said he hopes to continue building on the growth others have established before him, and he gives one group of individuals a great deal of the credit for this growth.

“The most exciting story for me — and the one I hope that everyone really gets to see more of — is what happens in the CCAssist Committee,” Carter said. “Every week, this group of volunteers — your fellow employees — meet and consider the needs that are put before them. It’s a powerful reminder that this program isn’t a corporate-driven initiative or a facility-driven initiative. This is all about team members helping each other — person to person.”

Carter said he has seen firsthand how CCA employees take care of one another.

“I’ve been incredibly fortunate to be part of this company since 1992,” Carter said. “Even before CCAssist, the team at the facility where I had worked, and every facility team I have known, had very strong reputations for stepping up when a fellow team member needed help. It’s always humbling when you see that happen, and it inspires you to play your part wherever you can.”

How CCAssist Can HelpCCAssist provides just-in-time financial support to employees

and their families experiencing unforeseen hardships, including, but not limited to: natural disasters; extended, acute or termi-nal illness; death of an immediate family member; transitional housing due to domestic violence or abuse; relocation of children to a new home or safe environment. A complete list of qualifying events can be found in the official CCAssist Fund application. Despite this being a great resource for employ-ees in need, there may be times where employees hesitate to apply.

“There are probably a myriad of reasons why people might hesitate before submitting an application,” Carter said. “For instance, maybe they are unsure that their situation qualifies. If that’s it, I’d encourage them to review the guidelines and consider submitting.”

Another concern employees may have is confidentiality.“Maybe an employee is reluctant to share their personal

struggle with others,” Carter said. “To this point, I would say that the CCAssist Committee takes confidentiality very seriously. What is discussed and reviewed by the Committee stays with the Committee.”

How You Can HelpThere’s no other way to say it: CCAssist relies on employee

support to thrive. Whether an employee contributes $1 or $100, every dollar has the potential to help make a big difference in someone’s life.

“Your generosity reaches across the country to your fellow team members when they need help the most,” Carter said. “I firmly believe that CCAssist is the best vehicle for sharing compa-nywide, and when your gift is combined with the gifts of thou-sands of others, transformational impact can happen.”

To make a contribution to CCAssist, employees can set up a distribution through automatic payroll deduction. CCAssist dona-tions are tax deductible. Human Resources managers can help employees with the process. n

CELEBRATING TEN YEARS OF

EMPLOYEES HELPING

EMPLOYEES

CCA.com/News26

COFFEE CORRECTIONAL FACILITY Nicholls, Georgia

TEAM HIGHLIGHT

Tacordeus Johnson Correctional Officer

”The thing I love the most about working at my facility is the wonderful people I get to work with and have gotten to know. We are like one big, happy family.”

Monique WilsonCorrectional Counselor

”I like working at Coffee CF because of my encouraging co-workers who push me to be all I can be.”

Kelvin MooreCase Manager

”Working at Coffee allows me to enhance my skills and knowledge.”

Audrey WilliamsUnit Manager

”Working here allows me to be a positive influence in the lives of so many.”

27CCA.com/News

10 Burton Hills BoulevardNashville, TN 37215

Congratulations to the new class of officers at CCA Nevada Southern Detention Center! They’re pictured here along with their warden, Charlotte Collins.

YOUR VOICE YOUR CCA · The Ethics Helpline and Ethics Liaison program are great examples of...

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