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NIJO wishes to extend our congratulations to the following award recipients.
2023 SOUTHERN REGION CORRECTIONS PROFESSIONALS AWARDS
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HEALTHCARE PROFESSIONAL OF THE YEAR AWARD
Christy Miller, Mobile County Sheriff’s Office, AL

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DETENTION OFFICER OF THE YEAR AWARD
Dell Kubler, Forsyth County Sheriff’s Office, GA

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DETENTION SUPERVISOR OF THE YEAR AWARD
Earl Leonard, Harrison County Sheriff’s Office, MS

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DETENTION ADMINISTRATOR OF THE YEAR AWARD
Randall Denzer, Washington County Sheriff’s Office, AR

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DETENTION FACILITY INNOVATION AWARD
LaFourche Parish Correctional Complex Programming & Re-Entry Services, LA
- Poetry contests and art competitions for inmates
- Partnerships with colleges and universities to provide opportunities for offenders to complete their college degree/certificate and participate in unique programs such as Inside/Out
- Regular reentry classes such as Thinking for a Change, Anger Management, and Prerelease, special voluntary impact classes have been created to include Creative Writing, Understanding Depression, Dealing with Anxiety, and Surviving Trauma and PTSD.
- A Medically Assisted Treatment program to address opioid addiction
- LPSO caught national attention with its “White Flag Project’’ for National Victims Awareness Week and Second Change Month. Each inmate created a white flag and wrote heartfelt messages of remorse and sorrow for their past acts. The inmates planted the hundreds of flags across the front lawn of the correctional complex to signify their willingness to renounce their past and strive for a new future.

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DEDICATION TO EXCELLENCE AWARD
Most of the nominations this year discussed their nominee’s loss of overtime earned due to pulling extra shifts. Understanding these dynamics, we recognize there are many that qualify for this award. Because of this, two recipients were selected for this award in 2023.Major Robert Sowell, Spalding County Sheriff's Office, GA

William Randolph, White County Sheriff's Office, TN

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NIJO EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR'S AWARD
Dr. Stephen Sampson
Psychologist, Sampson Testing & Training

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NIJO PROFESSIONAL CERTIFICATION
The National Institute for Jail Operations developed the Professional Certification Program in response to the need to provide a respected national certification for individuals looking for a process that involved legal-based curriculum by an organization which supports and defends their agencies’ worthy goals and objectives. NIJO Professional Certification is a professional designation - earned not issued - for jail and detention officers, supervisors, administrators and sheriffs who have demonstrated to possess the requisite understanding, knowledge, skills, experience and abilities to function to a specific level. Achieving NIJO Certification is a significant accomplishment and reflects intense training, effort, experience and comprehension proving that an individual confidently knows and can follow clearly established laws and procedures in fulfilling his or her duties within a correctional facility.
National Certified Corrections Executive (NCCE) Certification was awarded to the following individuals:
Phillip Barnard, St. Clair County Sheriff's Office, AL
Carl Carpenter, Walker County Sheriff's Office, AL
Larry Henry, Clay County Sheriff's Office, FL
Thalantha Jones, Clay County Sheriff's Office, FL
Tammy Peart, Crawford County Sheriff's Office, MO
Kimberly Watson, Baldwin County Sheriff's Office, AL
Justin White, Walker County Sheriff's Office, AL
Sierra Wilks, Cherokee County Sheriff's Office, AL


National Certified Corrections Supervisor (NCCS) Certification was awarded to the following individuals:
Barry Cooper Jr., Washington Parish Sheriff's Office, LA
Christina Vickers, Forsyth County Sheriff's Office, GA


National Certified Corrections Officer (NCCO) Certification was awarded to the following individuals:
Phyllis Farmer, St. Clair County Sheriff's Office, AL
Sydney Mitchell, ForsCounty Sheriff's Office, GA

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NIJO ACCREDITATION
NIJO Accreditation is an established process for correctional administrators to verify and be recognized nationally as compliant to what the law requires to run a constitutionally safe facility. As the only such accreditation in the country, NIJO promulgates over 600 Legal-Based GuidelinesTM specific to each state, to ensure that detention and correctional facilities comply with current legal requirements applicable to each state, circuit court and federal rulings and statutes. Achieving accreditation is not a walk in the park. It requires legal-based policies and procedures, documentation and consistency on all levels.Heading section
Forsyth County Sheriff's Office, GA
Forsyth County Sheriff's Office was the first facility in Georgia to receive NIJO accreditation in 2020. They recently completed their Year 2 Accreditation Requirements in efforts to maintain Level I accreditation, the highest level achievable. Congratulations to the entire jail staff at Forsyth County!
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Harrison County Sheriff's Office, MS
Harrison County Sheriff's Office was the first facility in Mississippi to receive NIJO accreditation in 2019. They recently completed their Year 2 Accreditation Requirements in efforts to maintain Level I accreditation, the highest level achievable. Congratulations to the entire team at Harrison County!
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Baldwin County Sheriff's Office, AL
Baldwin County Sheriff's Office has recently completed their Year 3 Accreditation Requirements in efforts to maintain Level I accreditation, the highest level achievable. Congratulations Baldwin County for your continued efforts to be accredited!
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Shelby County Sheriff's Office, AL
Shelby County Sheriff's Office was the first facility in Alabama to receive NIJO accreditation in 2016. They recently completed their Year 3 Accreditation Requirements in efforts to maintain Level I accreditation, the highest level achievable. Congratulations Shelby County! Keep up the great work!
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Congratulations to all of these outstanding and dedicated professionals and their agencies. You are the unsung heroes of law enforcement. We appreciate you and are dedicated to providing legal-based training and resources for the employees of jails and detention facilities across the country.
You may also be interested in: JAILCOn23 Southern Regional Conference Summary
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