Southern States Officers of the Year

CO Shannon Summers´ job performance is highlighted by her extreme attention to detail. She has detected numerous violations by inmates and has been able to write successful disciplinary reports which deter further rule violations. This attention to detail has also helped avoid potential policy and procedure errors. She displays her dedication to the team by working odd shifts when necessary and co operates with other staff and her supervisors. She demonstrates extreme professionalism with inmates, their families, the general public and other staff by maintaining her composure even in chaotic circumstances. She demonstrates her leadership abilities by taking the initiative to correct her problems on her own and making improvements to the working environment for herself and other officers.

CO Shannon Summers Pinellas Work Release Center/Largo Road Prison. To be selected as Correctional Officer of the Year was more than I could have hoped for. Imagine my surprise when I was selected out of the many highly qualified and capable officers nominated for an award from the Southern States Correctional Association. It was an honor to receive this award. July 15 was a big day for me. I headed to Hot Springs, Arkansas, to accept my award and meet some people from not only Florida, but from 14 other states. I was welcomed by many wonder-ful people with great personali-ties who made me feel so at home. I met people from Florida, Louisiana, Mississippi, South Carolina and Texas, all of whom welcomed me with open arms and showed me around. I now have a new "family" and a great group of friends that I am looking forward to seeing at future conferences. I am now a member of the Southern States Correctional Association, and am very proud to be included in this group that shares the same philosophies and experiences I do. I have met many great people that I can call upon, not just in corrections, but in life.

Craig Rioux, a community control officer at Sarasota North P&P, began his career with the DOC as a probation officer in September 1993. He was promoted to correctional probation senior officer and has been primarily supervising community control cases. Rioux is an excellent employee who is persistent in ensuring that offender contact standards are met or exceeded on his community control cases every week. He is proactive and aggressive in monitoring all conditions of supervision by the use of surveillance techniques and administering urinalysis tests to make certain offenders remain drug-free. Rioux is the ultimate professional and has unquestioned integrity within our local criminal justice system.

CO CPSO Craig Rioux, Sarasota North P&P I would like to take this opportunity to say how honored I was to receive the Southern States Correctional Associations Probation and Parole Officer of the year award at the summer conference in Hot Springs, Arkansas. The conference was truly a memorable experience. The numerous speakers at the conference were both educational and entertaining. The awards banquet on Tuesday evening, attended by the Governor of Arkansas attended, was great! I would like to thank Secretary Michael Moore, Deputy Secretary Michael Wolfe and all of the Southern States Correctional Association members for their hospitality.