Chaplaincy Pursuit of Excellence
Short
History: ACA & TDCJ
Chaplaincy Excellence, ACA & TDCJ
ACA
Code of Ethics
Preamble, Articles,
Dates of Revisions
ACA Declaration of Principles -- Preamble
Principles: Humanity, Justice, Protection, Opportunity,
Knowledge, Competence, Accountability
The American Correctional Association (ACA) is the premier
organization for standards for departments of corrections in America. Having developed and progressed from 1870 to
today, ACA is "THE" accreditation association for acceptable
standards; there is no other. As the history of ACA has progressed and the
standards fine-tuned, ACA has become the venue for correctional experts and
practitioners to associate. Warden
Mickey Ameigh's arrival to Wyoming County Correctional Facility (WCCF) in
Tunkhannock, Pa., is just one example for the "need" and
"value" of standards as well as how far behind institutions have
been, even in the twentieth century.
Ameigh came from the U.S. Federal system and arrived at the WCCF in
1993, making rapid-fire changes immediately, as he says, "It was so poised
for a monumental calamity that I felt there was no choice."[1] Amazingly horrendous, there were no regular
counts, no regular inmate searches, no disciplinary system, nor did inmate
infractions even go on record. Mickey
Ameigh brought changes and was selected as one of the "Best in the
Business" by ACA in 2002.[2]
ACA is by constitution lead by a broad spectrum of
experts and practitioners "in the field" – elected to the positions
that in turn maintain and fine-tune the standards for the "Correctional
Profession" itself.[3] In other words, ACA is not simply another
one of those thousands of associations that have a small subculture of like
minded persons. Rather, ACA has evolved
into a first-rate organization that is determining the future of incarceration
itself in the United States. Many
states are following and seeking full accreditation.
The next stage of evolution for ACA remains on the near
horizon: that stage will be attained
when its standards and accreditation will have the same weight and legal force
as the major accreditation bodies for our medical and educational institutions.
Proudly, the Texas Department of Criminal Justice (TDCJ) has been aggressively seeking full ACA accreditation for all of its facilities in the last several years, and many of TDCJ's institutions have achieved that accreditation. Proudly, the TDCJ has one of the lowest escapes rates among the largest institutions in the United States, doing for many decades many of the things Ameigh brought to the WCCF in 1993.
Chaplaincy Pursuit of
Excellence
Short
History: ACA & TDCJ
Chaplaincy Excellence, ACA & TDCJ
ACA Code of Ethics
Preamble, Articles,
Dates of Revisions
ACA Declaration of
Principles -- Preamble
Principles: Humanity, Justice, Protection,
Opportunity, Knowledge, Competence,
Accountability
However, with respect to TDCJ's Chaplaincy as a
"Department" under TDCJ's Programs and Services Division, for the
last ten years the Division has "lowered" the standards in
such a fashion that even the determination of how the TDCJ Chaplaincy is
operated and led is confusing.[4]
TDCJ's Division lowered the entry requirements for the
last two directors of chaplains so that prospective persons could qualify prior
to employment.[5] With respect to the former, they lowered the
CPE[6] requirements
to "1" unit for the Director of Chaplains while all regular chaplains
have to obtain at least "2" units to move up the pay scale from
Chaplain I to Chaplain II. For the
current director of chaplains, the division lowered the standing "5"
years of experience as a "Chaplain" to only "2" years of
experience.
Furthermore, given the enormous contributions of the TDCJ
Chaplaincy Services that have been obfuscated by the Division, the two previous
"Directors of Chaplains" would not meet the minimum requirements to
be a "Certified Chaplain" under the American Correctional Chaplains
Association (ACCA) which is the first professional affiliate with ACA. This is not good business, but rather a
regression. More to the point, with
respect to the Chaplaincy Services, the TDCJ's Division has sought to lower
standards well below the national standard, even to the effect that the
Directors of Chaplains need not have the level of excellence (read experience
and credentials) expected of "regular" chaplains qualifying for
Certification.
TDCJ has a good reputation and national stature, and
TDCJ's own quest for excellence is recently exemplified in it's pursuit of ACA
accreditation. Yet with respect to TDCJ
Chaplaincy, the Division has hired those well below the national standards,
disproportionately represented the Chaplaincy Volunteer contribution to TDCJ,[7] kept from
the TDCJ Board of Directors the enormous contributions of chaplains in a manner
not equal to any other profession in their report[8] and has
withheld public information several times necessitating the intervention of the
Texas' own Attorney General's office before release was secured.
That means several articles of ACA's Code of Ethics have
been shunned with respect to Chaplaincy.
We chaplains love our job, and a few of us have arisen to pursue
excellence and equality based upon contribution, education and experience.
Certainly relevant to Chaplain Professional Equity is in
the history of ACA itself. As a matter
of historical record, "the driving force behind the convening of the
original conference in 1879" of the American Correctional Association was
Enoch Cobb Wines.[9] And he was a minister and a teacher.[10] Chaplains have been within the Correctional
environment from the beginning, and the American Correctional Chaplains
Association was the first affiliate with ACA.
All the MORE reason that TDCJ's Programs and Services Division should
support Equity and Excellence and National Standards and not support the last
ten years of regression and lowering of standards.
The TDCJ is an accomplished penal institution with
worldwide notoriety. How is it that
twice the job descriptions are lowered to accommodate specific individuals over
several others who met national standards?
How it is that the chaplains pursuing excellence were repeatedly denied
public information on the Chaplaincy Services and forced for almost an entire
year to utilize the Texas' Attorney General's Office to force the release of
information on TDCJ, MHMR and TYC Chaplaincy Services?
In a nutshell, the Chaplaincy Services can only begin to
truly pursue excellence when they are granted equality and measures taken to
insure that national standards are sought and that quality can be pursued.
Chaplaincy Pursuit of
Excellence
Short
History: ACA & TDCJ
Chaplaincy Excellence, ACA & TDCJ
ACA Code of Ethics
Preamble, Articles,
Dates of Revisions
ACA Declaration of
Principles -- Preamble
Principles: Humanity, Justice, Protection,
Opportunity, Knowledge, Competence,
Accountability
The American Correctional Association expects of
its members unfailing honesty, respect for the dignity and individuality of
human beings and a commitment to professional and compassionate service. To this end, we subscribe to the following
principles.
1.
Members shall respect and protect the civil and legal rights of all
individuals.
2.
Members shall treat every professional situation with concern for the
welfare of the individuals involved and with no intent to personal gain.
3.
Members shall maintain relationships with colleagues to promote mutual
respect within the profession and improve the quality of service.
4.
Members shall make public criticism of their colleagues or their
agencies only when warranted, verifiable, and constructive.
5.
Members shall respect the importance of all disciplines within the
criminal justice system and work to improve cooperation with each segment.
6.
Members shall honor the public's right to information and share
information with the public to the extent permitted by law subject to individuals'
right to privacy.
7.
Members shall respect and protect the right of the public to be
safeguarded from criminal activity.
8.
Members shall refrain from using their positions to secure personal
privileges or advantages.
9.
Members shall refrain from allowing personal interest to impair
objectivity in the performance of duty while acting in an official capacity.
10. Members shall refrain
from entering into any formal or informal activity or agreement which presents
a conflict of interest or is inconsistent with the conscientious performance of
duties.
11. Members shall refrain
from accepting any gifts, services, or favors that is or appears to be improper
or implies an obligation inconsistent with the free and objective exercise of
professional duties.
12. Members shall clearly
differentiate between personal views/statements and views/statements/positions
made on behalf of the agency or Association.
13. Members shall report to
appropriate authorities any corrupt or unethical behaviors in which there is
sufficient evidence to justify review.
14. Members shall refrain
from discriminating against any individual because of race, gender, creed,
national origin, religious affiliation, age, disability, or any other type of
prohibited discrimination.
15. Members shall preserve
the integrity of private information; they shall refrain from seeking
information on individuals beyond that which is necessary to implement
responsibilities and perform their duties; members shall refrain from revealing
nonpublic information unless expressly authorized to do so.
16. Members shall make all
appointments, promotions, and dismissals in accordance with established civil
service rules, applicable contract agreements, and individual merit, rather
than furtherance of personal interests.
17. Members shall respect,
promote, and contribute to a work place that is safe, healthy, and free of
harassment in any form.
Dates of Revisions:
Adopted August 1975 at the 105th Congress of Correction;
Revised August 1990 at the 120th Congress of Correction;
Revised August 1994 at the 124th Congress of Correction.
Preamble TOP Appendix 3
Principles: Humanity, Justice, Protection, Opportunity,
Knowledge,
Competence, Accountability
More than a century ago,
in 1870, leaders in American corrections, meeting with their international
colleagues in Cincinnati, Ohio, first developed principles stating the beliefs
and values underlying the practice of their profession. As a result of this meeting, the National
Prison Association was founded, an organization that has subsequently evolved
into the American Correctional Association.
The foresight of these leaders' thinking over 130 years ago is evident
in this brief excerpt from that document:
The treatment of
criminals by society is for the protection of society. But since such treatment is directed to the
criminal rather than the crime, its great object should be his moral
regeneration. The state has not
discharged its whole duty to the criminal when it has punished him, nor even
when it has reformed him. Having raised
him up, it has further duty to aid in holding him up. In vain shall we have given the convict an improved mind and heart,
in vain shall we have imparted to him the capacity for industrial labor and the
desire to advance himself by worthy means, if, on his discharge, he finds the
world in arms against him, with none to trust him, none to meet him kindly,
none to give him the opportunity of earning honest bread.
Although the language may
be antiquated, the message is contemporary.
The role of corrections is to assist in the prevention and control of
delinquency and crime, but ultimately the prevention of criminal and delinquent
behavior depends on the will of the individual and the constructive qualities
of society and its basic entities:
family, community, school, religion, and government.
As members of the
American Correctional Association, we continue in the spirit of our founders by
renewing and revising these principles in 2002, so that they may continue to
guide sound corrections practices, make clear our philosophy and aims, and
inspire cooperation and support from leaders of local, state, national, and
international communities and organizations.
We believe that these
principles of HUMANITY, JUSTICE, PROTECTION, OPPORTUNITY, KNOWLEDGE,
COMPETENCE, and ACCOUNTABILITY are essential to the foundation of sound
corrections policy and effective public protection.
Guided by the following
principles, the American Correctional Association is enabled to benefit from
the heritage of the past, plan and prepare for the future and "to
lead" and "to serve" the correctional profession, our
colleagues, our charges and our communities.
Preamble
Principles:
Humanity, Justice,
Protection,
Opportunity, Knowledge, Competence,
Accountability
The dignity of
individuals, the rights of all persons and the potential for human growth and
development must be respected.
Social order in a
democratic society depends upon full recognition of individual worth and
respect for the dignity of all its members;
therefore, laws, administrative policies and corrections practices must
be governed by this principle and measured against standards of fairness and
decency, whether applied to those under corrections care and control, its
staff, crime victims, or the general public.
Corrections shares with
other parts of the criminal justice system the obligation to balance the
protection of the individual against excessive restrictions. To this end the least restrictive means of
control and supervision consistent with public safety should be used. Incarceration should only be used with
juveniles or adults charged with or convicted of crimes and for whom no other
alternative disposition is safe and appropriate.
Corrections leadership
must establish a management philosophy and ensure implementation by monitoring
conformance; encouraging a positive
environment; promoting positive relationships
between and among offenders and staff;
and providing opportunities for programming and resources for employees
and offenders.
Preamble
Principles:
Humanity, Justice,
Protection,
Opportunity, Knowledge, Competence,
Accountability
Corrections must
demonstrate integrity, respect, dignity, fairness, and pursue a balanced
program of humaneness, restoration, rehabilitation and the most appropriate
sanctions consistent with public safety.
Unwarranted disparity in
sentencing, undue length of sentences, and rigid sentencing structures are an
injustice to society and the offender and create circumstances that are not in
the best interest of justice, mercy, or public protection and must be resisted
whenever possible.
Sanctions imposed for
crimes or infractions should be commensurate with the seriousness of the
offense; take into account the extent
of participation in the crime or infraction and the criminal history of the offender; and follow impartial fact-finding and due
process procedures.
Corrections leadership
also must ensure that employees are treated with rigorous standards of fairness
and justice; and that victims,
witnesses, and all other citizens who come in contact with the criminal justice
system receive fair, consistent, and concerned consideration and assistance,
including restitution and/or compensation whenever appropriate.
Preamble
Principles:
Humanity, Justice,
Protection,
Opportunity, Knowledge, Competence,
Accountability
Corrections has a duty to
ensure the protection of the public, offenders under corrections supervision,
corrections workers, and victims and survivors of crime.
Persons have the right to
be protected from personal and/or psychological harm, loss of property and
abuse of power. The overall protection
of society is best enhanced through effective corrections community and
institutional supervision, rehabilitation and training programs, compliance
with legal mandates, offender and staff accountability, and meeting the basic
needs of offenders.
Corrections has a special
responsibility to protect from harm those who are involuntarily under its care
and control; therefore, contemporary
standards for healthcare, offender classification, due process, fire and
building safety, nutrition, personal well-being, and clothing and shelter must
be observed.
Because of the unique
power that corrections has over those in its care, special vigilance must be
observed to protect them from the abuse of that power. Offenders also must be protected from
harming each other, corrections employees, victims of crime, and/or the public
at large. Prevention of escape,
assault, and property loss is an important goal of corrections and requires
unique and specialized expertise.
Preamble
Principles:
Humanity, Justice,
Protection,
Opportunity, Knowledge, Competence,
Accountability
Corrections is
responsible for providing programs and constructive activities that promote
positive change for responsible citizenship.
Opportunity for positive
change or "reformation" is basic to the concept of corrections
because punishment without the opportunity for redemption is unjust and
ineffective. Hope is a prerequisite for the offender's restoration to
responsible membership in society.
Sound corrections
programs at all levels of government require a careful balance of community and
institutional services that provide a range of effective, humane, and safe
options for handling juvenile and adult offenders.
Corrections must provide
classification systems for determining placement, degree of supervision, and
programming that afford differential controls and services for juvenile and
adult offenders, thus maximizing opportunity for the largest number.
Corrections leaders
should actively engage the community to assist in the restoration and
reintegration of the offender.
Offenders, juvenile or
adult, whether in the community or in institutions, should be afforded the
opportunity to engage in productive work, participate in programs including
education, vocational training, religion, counseling, constructive use of
leisure time, and other activities that enhance self-worth, community
integration, and economic status.
Preamble
Principles:
Humanity, Justice,
Protection,
Opportunity, Knowledge, Competence,
Accountability
Corrections must be
committed to pursuing a continual search for new knowledge, technological
advances, and effective practices that strive toward excellence and positive
change.
Effective programs,
policies, and practices are based on accurate information, applied and
theoretical research, and are guided by professional standards and outcome
measures of performance.
Corrections programming
successes that are supported by sound research enhance the credibility of
corrections and promote professional progress.
For optimum benefit,
knowledge must be shared to enhance public awareness and support for effective
policies and programs.
Corrections should
contribute to and benefit from relationships among local, state, national, and
international agencies, professional associations, and institutions of higher
learning.
Preamble
Principles:
Humanity, Justice,
Protection,
Opportunity, Knowledge, Competence,
Accountability
Corrections
administrators, supervisors, and line employees must be professionally
competent and committed to conducting their responsibilities in accordance with
professional standards.
Selection, retention and
promotion of all corrections staff and the selection and training of volunteers
must be based on merit, without regard to political affiliation, race, gender
or religion.
Staff, contract employees
and volunteers must be well trained to understand the mission of the agency and
to conduct themselves according to the agency's rules and professional
standards.
Adequately trained and
well-supervised volunteers are an essential element to the effective delivery
of services to juvenile and adult offenders at all stages of the corrections
process.
Remuneration for staff
must adequately reflect the importance of the crucial role of corrections in
the protection of society and should be commensurate with job requirements and
performance.
Corrections agencies and
organizations must promote opportunities for professional development for all
employees.
The system of evaluating
staff and volunteers must be fair and equitable.
Preamble
Principles:
Humanity, Justice,
Protection,
Opportunity, Knowledge, Competence,
Accountability
Corrections officials shall
ensure accountability in regard to the treatment and management of offenders,
selection and performance of staff, and the interface with the community and
victims.
Accountability is a
keystone of sound corrections practice; therefore, all persons engaged in
corrections activity should be held responsible for their actions and behavior.
Corrections
administrators must be accountable for assuring the humane treatment of
offenders, the support and empowerment of staff and adherence to the stated
principles.
Staff must be accountable
for advancing and implementing the goals and principles of corrections.
Offenders must be
accountable for their actions, including making amends and restitution where
practical.
Chaplaincy Pursuit of Excellence
Short
History: ACA & TDCJ
Chaplaincy Excellence, ACA & TDCJ
ACA
Code of Ethics
Preamble, Articles,
Dates of Revisions
ACA Declaration of Principles -- Preamble
Principles: Humanity, Justice, Protection,
Opportunity,
Knowledge,
Competence,
Accountability
Chaplaincy Recovers
ENTIRE Operating Costs – 3x over
Chaplaincy
Contributes in Extraordinary Manner to
EVERY Mission
Critical Function
Chaplains Need
Equality & Logistical Support
[1] Buisch, Michele D. "Best in the Business: A True Mover and Shaker." Corrections Today (June 2002): 52.
[2] Ibid.
[3] Keve, Paul W. Measuring Excellence: The History of Correctional Standards and Accreditation. Lanham, MD: American Correctional Association, 1996.
[4] The others sections outline this in detail.
[5] See the section: "Chaplain Equity Timeline" for documentation.
[6] CPE = Clinical Pastoral Education, as specified by the Association of Clinical Pastoral Education, Inc., Decatur, GA; one the most common standards for raining in chaplaincy skills.
[7] See TDCJ Volunteer Coordination Committee Reports for FY1999 and FY2000 and the larger picture in the first chapter on TDCJ Chaplaincy Cost-Savings, which are gargantuan.
[8] See Appendix 1: Bi-Monthly TDCJ Prog. & Services Reports to Board.
[9] Keve, Paul W. Measuring Excellence: The History of Correctional Standards and Accreditation. Lanham, MD: American Correctional Association, 1996: p. 3.
[10] Ibid.
[11] Source: http://www.corrections.com/aca/pastpresentfuture/ethics.htm; formatting added to facilitate navigation.
[12] Source: http://www.corrections.com/aca/pastpresentfuture/principles.htm; formatting added to facilitate navigation.