EDITOR'S CORNER

This week we profile a corrections professional who's reached a significant milestone. In addition to balancing family obligations with a career at a Michigan prison library, Joe Bouchard also serves as the editor for the International Association of Correctional Training Personnel's publication The Correctional Trainer and contributes articles monthly to Corrections.com. Despite all of the demands linked to these responsibilities, he recently published his 300th article.

We assume that Bouchard doesn't think highly of sleep, but further investigation in this week's article also reveals the energy and muse that motivates this writing warrior.
Jim, Corrections.com editor

FEATURED STORY

Mr. 300

By Ann Coppola

Behind the mighty pen...or keyboard

Accidentally stumbling upon something you soon discover you love can be a beautiful thing. Whether it’s a destination you find after making a wrong turn or a band you only get to see play because you bought the wrong ticket, those experiences are always thrilling and extra-satisfying.

For Joe Bouchard, a correctional librarian by day, his accidental discovery was writing. After a humble literary beginning nine years ago, Bouchard just recently published his 300th article about the corrections field. Corrections.com caught up with the prolific writer to learn his secret for success. Read this week's full story.

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READER FEEDBACK

Regarding An island of support
"Librarian Jordet's point regarding the value of prison libraries in promoting pro-social values is interesting. After more than a decade managing adult literacy libraries in Arizona prisons, it's still a marvel to me that the men choose pro-social behaviors in the library.

They address each other with greater civility than they generally do on the yard, and my clerks receive as many 'Thank you, sirs' as they deliver. Patrons feel free to sit at a table and have a conversation with someone of a different race, something they might not do in the dining hall, and they quickly find that buying into our system of book circulation--rather than stealing books outright or failing to return them--provides them with more benefits, and is more equitable for the community as a whole.

Those who learn the rules and play the game best--the men who return books in a timely fashion, recover stray books they find in the dorms, donate books they no longer need--know they are contributing to and maintaining a resource that benefits the whole community, as well as themselves, and they are the first ones to know which books have just been ordered and will soon be arriving, and the first ones to get on the waiting lists for the most in-demand books.

This process of learning how the system works, buying into it, respecting its value to the whole community, and reaping the rewards may be a valuable experience they can take with them to the street when they are released. So, in addition to the content of the books themselves, the whole library experience may promote pro-social values.
Librarian II Mike Kaliher Fort Grant Library Arizona State Prison Complex -- Safford"

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LOOKING AHEAD

NOW ON CORRECTIONS.COM

Reducing recidivism - an exploration of one county’s effort, Part I

In order to evaluate social service in the field of delinquency, it is necessary to check up the service from time to time. Full story

An island of support

Federal law mandates a law library (or equivalent) for inmates to access the courts, but how does... Full story

Ten deadly errors

One thing about going to conferences... Full story

BUSINESS NEWS

NABCJ’s Presidential Citation for Corporate Support Awarded to Keefe Group President

Jack Donnelly, President of Keefe Group was the recipient of the Presidential Citation for Corporate Support... More

Digital Solutions/Inmate Telephone, Inc. Releases Third Quarter Update

Digital Solutions/Inmate Telephone, Inc., a technology firm focused on improving operational efficiencies within the corrections industry... More

CDCR Completes Deployment of ATG’s Trust Fund & Commissary Systems

The California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation (CDCR) has successfully deployed Trust Fund Administration and Commissary Operations applications... More

CAREER WATCH

DOJ's juvenile justice office finds new acting administrator President Barack Obama recently designated Jeff Slowikowski as acting administrator for the Department of Justice’s Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention. Full story.

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EVENTS

Experience the Riot!
The Mock Prison Riot, May 3-6, 2009

The National Institute of Justice, Office of Justice Programs and the West Virginia High Technology Consortium Foundation host the Mock Prison Riot on the grounds of the former West Virginia Penitentiary in Moundsville, West Virginia.

Attendees will experience:

• Law enforcement and corrections practitioners working with technologists who design the tools they need to safely and effectively do their jobs;


• Tactical teams measuring their skills against their peers in law enforcement and corrections around the world; and


• Training professionals and technologists creating partnerships that will last a lifetime.

Find out more!

Women in Criminal Justice Conference

Date: 4/14-16/09
The conference is for women at all levels working in all aspects of the criminal justice field. More information.

Desert Waters Correctional Outreach Staff Wellness through Positive Leadership Conference

Date: 5/7 - 8/09
This conference will provide criminal justice professionals with evidence-based strategies that boost staff wellness, morale and performance More information.

American Jail Association 28th Annual Training Conference and Jail Expo

Date: 4/26-30/09
The Louisville Metro Department of Corrections and the Kentucky Jailer’s Association are proud to be the co-hosts for this year's conference in in Louisville, Ky. More information.

Check out more events.

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QUOTE OF THE WEEK

"The difference between a successful person and others is not a lack of strength, not a lack of knowledge, but rather in a lack of will."
- Vince Lombardi (1913 - 1970) Head coach of the National Football League's Green Bay Packers


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