Top managers within adult and juvenile corrections throughout Texas met leading researchers in the criminal justice field during the latest training offered by the Correctional Management Institute of Texas.
"It was one of the best conferences I’ve been to, and I’ve been to several,' said Dustin Fore, Assistant Deputy Director of Angelina County Adult Probation "I’ve got four pages of things jotted down that I want to do when I get back. My brain hurts."
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Thursday, September 30, 2010
Wednesday, September 29, 2010
Senior Level Corrections Leadership Development
The Correctional Management Institute of Texas is pleased to offer a week-long Senior Level Corrections Leadership Program for criminal justice professionals at the George J. Beto Criminal Justice Center in Huntsville, Texas. The purpose of the program is to equip selected participants with the necessary correctional knowledge from an academic research standpoint and with the necessary leadership skills from a practitioner perspective that are required for Senior Level Leaders.
This training will target deputy directors within adult and juvenile community corrections, assistant wardens/wardens, assistant jail administrators/jail administrators, and assistant superintendents/superintendents within adult and juvenile institutions. The Institute is now accepting nominations for its program scheduled for March 20-25, 2011. This program is limited to 24-participants.
Agency Responsibility
< Nominate a person who is in a Senior Level Leadership position or who has the potential to be promoted into a Senior Level Leadership position;
< Nomination must be signed by the Agency Executive Director;
< Nominees that are two years from retiring from the agency are not eligible;
< Consider diversity when making the nomination;
< Be prepared to allow the nominee to be in attendance from Sunday afternoon to noon on the following Friday; and,
< Provide transportation or reimburse the nominee for round trip mileage between duty site and Huntsville.
Participant Responsibility
< Arrive at the Criminal Justice Center in Huntsville on Sunday by 5:00 PM for the opening session; and
< Actively participate in training activities the entire week; and
Institute Responsibility
< Consider a variety of diversity issues in selecting participants;
< Notify nominee of acceptance into the program;
< Provide 34 hours of relevant training in an atmosphere conducive to learning;
< Provide all training materials;
< Provide accommodations at the University Hotel; and
< Provide meals for participants.
For questions, please contact Fred Rangel at (936) 294-3916 or email at frangel@shsu.edu
This training will target deputy directors within adult and juvenile community corrections, assistant wardens/wardens, assistant jail administrators/jail administrators, and assistant superintendents/superintendents within adult and juvenile institutions. The Institute is now accepting nominations for its program scheduled for March 20-25, 2011. This program is limited to 24-participants.
Agency Responsibility
< Nominate a person who is in a Senior Level Leadership position or who has the potential to be promoted into a Senior Level Leadership position;
< Nomination must be signed by the Agency Executive Director;
< Nominees that are two years from retiring from the agency are not eligible;
< Consider diversity when making the nomination;
< Be prepared to allow the nominee to be in attendance from Sunday afternoon to noon on the following Friday; and,
< Provide transportation or reimburse the nominee for round trip mileage between duty site and Huntsville.
Participant Responsibility
< Arrive at the Criminal Justice Center in Huntsville on Sunday by 5:00 PM for the opening session; and
< Actively participate in training activities the entire week; and
Institute Responsibility
< Consider a variety of diversity issues in selecting participants;
< Notify nominee of acceptance into the program;
< Provide 34 hours of relevant training in an atmosphere conducive to learning;
< Provide all training materials;
< Provide accommodations at the University Hotel; and
< Provide meals for participants.
For questions, please contact Fred Rangel at (936) 294-3916 or email at frangel@shsu.edu
Friday, September 17, 2010
Correctional leader as entrepreneur
Many decisions will not be unanimously supported within the organization and will require risk taking.
In recent years, many correctional leaders have realized the benefits of operational standards and the best efforts at compliance taken by their agencies. Such standards bring structure, enhanced safety, and a degree of predictability to an environment that can all too quickly spin out of control.
That being said, though, there is much entrepreneurial behavior in the correctional profession that is also important to its success. Entrepreneurial leaders initiate change where they see the need. Often those decisions are not unanimously supported by others in the organization, or require risk taking. Many great accomplishments in the corrections profession occurred with that spirit in mind. Read More...
In recent years, many correctional leaders have realized the benefits of operational standards and the best efforts at compliance taken by their agencies. Such standards bring structure, enhanced safety, and a degree of predictability to an environment that can all too quickly spin out of control.
That being said, though, there is much entrepreneurial behavior in the correctional profession that is also important to its success. Entrepreneurial leaders initiate change where they see the need. Often those decisions are not unanimously supported by others in the organization, or require risk taking. Many great accomplishments in the corrections profession occurred with that spirit in mind. Read More...
5 keys to outstanding leadership
By Mark Warren
In 1948, Harold L. Smith began teaching an eye-mind coordination driving program that he had developed after observing how the eyes work and how drivers respond to what they see on the road. It was called “5 Keys to Space Cushion Driving” and has become known throughout the world as the Smith System. Read More...
In 1948, Harold L. Smith began teaching an eye-mind coordination driving program that he had developed after observing how the eyes work and how drivers respond to what they see on the road. It was called “5 Keys to Space Cushion Driving” and has become known throughout the world as the Smith System. Read More...
Thursday, July 22, 2010
Victim Impact Statements: The Victims Voice in the Criminal Justice Process
The Correctional Management Institute of Texas in collaboration with the Texas Department of Criminal Justice-Victim Services Division is pleased to offer a 3 ½ hour training targeting criminal justice professionals, victim assistance coordinators, judges, probation officers, district and county attorneys, crime victim advocates and law enforcement personnel.
Participants will be trained on the critical role Victim Impact Statements play at key stages of the criminal justice process before and after the disposition of an offender’s case, statutory responsibilities of the various criminal justice entities in regard to Victim Impact Statements, who has access to Victim Impact Statements during and after the judicial process, revisions to the Victim Impact Statement forms, statistical reporting requirements and best practice suggestions for developing Victim Impact Statement standards in local jurisdictions that will help to ensure victims’ voices are heard at all stages of the criminal justice process.
This FREE training has been approved for 3- hours of TCLEOSE credit and 3-hours of MCLE credit.
Training Date: October 26, 2010
Location: George J. Beto Criminal Justice Center-Texas Room
Sam Houston State University
Huntsville, Texas 77340
Training Schedule: Participants can register online at http://www.cmitonline.org/ to attend a morning session from 8:30a.m. – 12:00 p.m. or an afternoon session from 1:00 p.m. – 4:30 p.m.
Friday, July 16, 2010
Leadership under fire: When managers become commanders
When the correctional environment becomes a battlefield administrators become leaders of warriors
by: Russ Savage (Photo by Luke Whyte)
It is often said that employees are the most valuable resource available to the correctional administrator. But the opposite is also true. The leadership qualities of administrators are the most valuable resource to their employees.
The definition of a leader for me is more than skills and traits; rather, it is the interpersonal relationship that exists between the leader and the followers. That’s right – followers. Bucking the trend to make everyone in a working environment equal, I see corrections as functioning best when there is a strong chain of command.
A correctional administrator must exhibit the best qualities of two distinct types of leaders in order to be successful: mayor and commander. A correctional facility is a city where the Warden (as Mayor) is the chief political officer that oversees daily activities through department heads that, in turn, manage every aspect of the operation. The administrator is challenged many times each day with politics, minutia and bureaucratic duties, but the most severe challenge of the administrator as a leader is during an emergency. During an emergency, the administrator must also be a commander.
A leader of warriors
Correctional agencies are often considered paramilitary organizations, and the military characteristics become clearer during emergencies when the chief political officer becomes a leader of warriors, the commander in chief. The inmates may be the focus of the battle, with the protection of the employees and public as the goal.
With the similarities between a leader in a correctional emergency and the military, the definition for leadership used by the military can reasonably be applied to both entities. Working in a correctional agency during a crisis has distinct needs and differences from any other work environment.
14 traits and qualities of thought and action
The Marines have “14 Traits and Qualities of Thought and Action” that define leadership. It would be reasonable to lift the specifics directly from the Marine traits and qualities because in general they apply to any leadership role, but to supply a more specific correctional context we can us the titles the Marines supply while putting them in a correctional context:
JUSTICE: Give employees what they have coming, consider how the environment creates or discourages peak performance, and be more willing to help than to punish.
JUDGMENT: Think things through and, as often as possible, opt for incrementalism.
DEPENDABILITY: Live by a set of standards consistent with your employer’s ethics and rules.
INITIATIVE: Success isn’t measured by charging ahead, cutting a new path or pushing your own ideas. It is achieved by getting 100% of the team working to make the system safe and secure.
DECISIVENESS: Hesitation is dangerous, but big mistakes are disastrous. Get the facts, take action, but strive to get it right the first time.
TACT: Words can hurt, stifle, and anger or they can heal, inspire, and encourage. Be careful to send the right message.
INTEGRITY: What others observe is the foundation of your reputation.
ENTHUSIASM: A cheerful attitude is a vaccine and cure against burnout.
BEARING: Where a few dozen persons control hundreds, image is everything.
UNSELFISHNESS: Put your people first.
COURAGE: Do the right thing no matter the consequences.
KNOWLEDGE: Be an expert in the laws, policies, and rules that apply to your operation.
LOYALTY: You can’t be a leader if you don’t have followers, and you can’t have followers if you do not serve them first.
ENDURANCE: Don’t give up on people or something you know is right.
Corrections is not easy work and being a leader in a correctional agency is particularly hard. The heavy lifting often generates a sense that if you want something done right you need to do it yourself. This, however, is exactly the wrong focus.
Dwight Eisenhower, a war hero, president, and leader, is reputed to have said, “Leadership is the art of getting someone else to do something you want done because he wants to do it.” In other words, leadership is convincing others to be followers.
About the Author: Russ Savage has over thirty five years of experience in all aspects of correctional operations, with all populations and all custody levels from community release to death row. His experience includes Prison Complex and Unit Administration positions as well as administrative roles including Departmental Operations Officer and Bureau Administrator for Facilities Activation. He holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Criminal Justice from Arizona State University.
by: Russ Savage (Photo by Luke Whyte)
It is often said that employees are the most valuable resource available to the correctional administrator. But the opposite is also true. The leadership qualities of administrators are the most valuable resource to their employees.
A correctional administrator must exhibit the best qualities of two distinct types of leaders in order to be successful: mayor and commander. A correctional facility is a city where the Warden (as Mayor) is the chief political officer that oversees daily activities through department heads that, in turn, manage every aspect of the operation. The administrator is challenged many times each day with politics, minutia and bureaucratic duties, but the most severe challenge of the administrator as a leader is during an emergency. During an emergency, the administrator must also be a commander.
A leader of warriors
Correctional agencies are often considered paramilitary organizations, and the military characteristics become clearer during emergencies when the chief political officer becomes a leader of warriors, the commander in chief. The inmates may be the focus of the battle, with the protection of the employees and public as the goal.
With the similarities between a leader in a correctional emergency and the military, the definition for leadership used by the military can reasonably be applied to both entities. Working in a correctional agency during a crisis has distinct needs and differences from any other work environment.
14 traits and qualities of thought and action
The Marines have “14 Traits and Qualities of Thought and Action” that define leadership. It would be reasonable to lift the specifics directly from the Marine traits and qualities because in general they apply to any leadership role, but to supply a more specific correctional context we can us the titles the Marines supply while putting them in a correctional context:
JUSTICE: Give employees what they have coming, consider how the environment creates or discourages peak performance, and be more willing to help than to punish.
JUDGMENT: Think things through and, as often as possible, opt for incrementalism.
DEPENDABILITY: Live by a set of standards consistent with your employer’s ethics and rules.
INITIATIVE: Success isn’t measured by charging ahead, cutting a new path or pushing your own ideas. It is achieved by getting 100% of the team working to make the system safe and secure.
DECISIVENESS: Hesitation is dangerous, but big mistakes are disastrous. Get the facts, take action, but strive to get it right the first time.
TACT: Words can hurt, stifle, and anger or they can heal, inspire, and encourage. Be careful to send the right message.
INTEGRITY: What others observe is the foundation of your reputation.
ENTHUSIASM: A cheerful attitude is a vaccine and cure against burnout.
BEARING: Where a few dozen persons control hundreds, image is everything.
UNSELFISHNESS: Put your people first.
COURAGE: Do the right thing no matter the consequences.
KNOWLEDGE: Be an expert in the laws, policies, and rules that apply to your operation.
LOYALTY: You can’t be a leader if you don’t have followers, and you can’t have followers if you do not serve them first.
ENDURANCE: Don’t give up on people or something you know is right.
Corrections is not easy work and being a leader in a correctional agency is particularly hard. The heavy lifting often generates a sense that if you want something done right you need to do it yourself. This, however, is exactly the wrong focus.
Dwight Eisenhower, a war hero, president, and leader, is reputed to have said, “Leadership is the art of getting someone else to do something you want done because he wants to do it.” In other words, leadership is convincing others to be followers.
About the Author: Russ Savage has over thirty five years of experience in all aspects of correctional operations, with all populations and all custody levels from community release to death row. His experience includes Prison Complex and Unit Administration positions as well as administrative roles including Departmental Operations Officer and Bureau Administrator for Facilities Activation. He holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Criminal Justice from Arizona State University.
Tuesday, May 11, 2010
Motivational Interviewing Summit Convened
The Correctional Management Institute of Texas (CMIT) in collaboration with the Texas Department of Criminal Justice-Community Justice Assistance Division (TDCJ-CJAD) hosted a Motivational Interviewing Summit at the George J. Beto Criminal Justice Center on May 6th and 7th 2010.
Led by CJAD Training Specialist IV, Mary Strong, the summit, which brought together over 37- representatives from community corrections including TDCJ-Parole, TDCJ-Rehabilitation Programs and numerous adult probation departments was convened to provide a medium for discussion on the use of Motivational Interviewing across the state including gaps in training, the existence of MINT (Motivational Interviewing Network of Trainers) members in the community corrections field, and other issues associated with expanding the use of Motivational Interviewing in corrections. 
The summit culminated in the creation of the Texas Motivational Interviewing Cooperative (TMIC) whose purpose will be to combine resources and skill sets to assist in building and sustaining the effective use of Motivational Interviewing within Texas correctional communities. CMIT Executive Director, Doug Dretke expressed to participants that the Institute is “excited to partner with and lend support to the newly established cooperative to expand the use of Motivational Interviewing in Texas Corrections.” For more information on the Texas Motivational Interviewing Cooperative, please contact Mary Strong at (512) 671-2116
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