| Correctional Compass May 2005 |
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Correctional Compass May 2005 |
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They Can Run, But They Can't Hide
A Florida state probation officer catches absconded murder suspect
By Correctional Probation Specialist Ronald Stewart, Circuit 5
John A. “Sean” Pauls, III, correctional probation officer, 05-0 Ocala East began his career with the Florida Department of Corrections 4½ years ago as a corrections officer at Marion CI in November 2000. Pauls first applied for a position as a Probation Officer but learned there was a 2-year hiring freeze.
Pauls waited for an opening that finally came in February 2003. Pauls is state certified by FDLE in the 3 disciplines of: corrections officer, police officer and probation officer, and graduated top of his class in his Correctional Officer Academy in May 2001.
After returning from the academy Sean gets his "new guy" caseload. We know all too well the “new guy” caseload, files with tons of paperwork and a phenomenal amount of warrant cases that have been passed down from officer to officer. Sean gets a large cup of coffee and digs in, whacking away at an insurmountable stack of paper.
This is where the story begins.
While working on an old absconder Warrant case, Pauls sees something in an NCIC printout that triggers an obscure feeling. He sees an arrest in Elkhart, Indiana, in 2003. The name is different, the physical sizes do not match, but some number must have caused NCIC to list this arrest. The absconder was not a typical offender, as Juan B. was now also wanted for a first degree murder that occurred in Marion County in 2001 and this is now November 2004.
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Pauls plays on the hunch and calls Elkhart, Indiana police, and speaks with an officer that knows the arrestee, has been to his home, and knows he is on misdemeanor probation for Driving While Liscence Suspended/Revoked.
Pauls faxed the offender photo to the officer in Indiana, who confirmed the likeness to our absconder. Our sheriff’s office is advised and fingerprint cards are requested and Stet matched. Our absconder, and now murder suspect, is located in Indiana, and as a bonus, is scheduled to report probation the next day!
But, the suspect failed to report to his probation officer and Indiana authorities had to wait until that night to raid his home where he was arrested. Juan Bernabe was returned to Ocala and is residing at the county jail awaiting trial on a Violation of Probation and also a 1st Degree Murder charge, on which he is facing the death penalty.
Probation officer Sean Pauls made this happen. He is the one who acted on a “hunch”
and made this arrest. Sean is fulfilling his pledge to our agency’s mission… “Protect the public”. Marion County Sheriff Ed Dean recognized by presenting him with a Certificate of Appreciation for Assistance.
The department recently promoted Mr. Pauls to Correctional Probation Senior Officer in Circuit 5.
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Sexual Offender Sweep in West Palm Beach and Lake Worth
On May 11 the Florida Department of Corrections and the Palm Beach County Sheriff’s Office, West Palm Beach Police Department, Lake Worth Police Department, and FDLE coordinated a Sexual Offender / Predator Sweep. This sweep took place in the cities of West Palm Beach and Lake Worth. One-hundred fifty nine registered sexual offenders and predators were targeted in the sweep. The purpose of the sweep was to ensure registered sexual offenders were complying with Florida State statutes, offender registration laws, and conditions set forth by courts for those currently under supervision (Probation) with Department of Corrections.
- 159 - Registered sexual offenders reside in the targeted area.
- 130 - Contacts made by Law Enforcement, no violations found.
- 18 - No contact made with offender, not home at the time of the sweep
- 8 - Suspected Violations-Follow-up to be conducted by Law Enforcement.
- 3 - Arrests
- Robin McCollum W/M 11/11/63 - Violation of Probation “Possession of Pornography”.
- Robert Fields B/M 02/23/28 - Violation of Probation “Possession of a Weapon”
- Anthony Soloc W/M 04/09/72 - Failure To Appear Warrant
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Alert Cross City Probation Officers Capture Weapons from Violent Sex Offender
By Corrections Probation Specialist Melissa M. Hinson, Cross City P&P
On May 13 someone placed a note on the door of the probation office indicating an offender had weapons at his residence. Probation officers contacted the sheriff’s office which was initially unable to provide a deputy as they only had one on duty.
However, the sheriff did eventually send a deputy to assist DC probation officers. The offender was taken into custody on May 13 and was granted a $1500 bond by Judge Peach on May 17.
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South Florida Reception Center in Partnership with Health Through Walls Aids Haitian Prison Authority
By Johanne Toussiant, secretary specialist, Miami North Work Release Center
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In collaboration with several agencies, the Florida Department of Corrections helped collect computer equipment, medical supplies and sanitation products for the Haitian Prison Authority. The items were loaded on April 14, in a container of correctional equipment and supplies being sent to the Haitian Prison Authority. The container was presented by Dr. John May, Medical Director of Health Through Walls, to Haitian prison officials on May 25.
South Florida Reception Center (SFRC - Region 4) provided equipment and supplies, needed by the Haitian Prison Authority. On hand for the loading were Warden Ron D. Jones of SFRC and former SFRC employee Dr. John May, who is the founder and Medical Director of Health Through Walls, a volunteer organization of correctional health doctors, nurses, and others in the United States working to assist jail and prison health programs in needy countries.
Speaking of the project in which he took a personal interest, James V. Crosby, Jr., Secretary of the Department stated, “Our officers understand the danger of being without the supplies they need. The profession of corrections creates a brotherhood and sisterhood and that is why when called upon, we always try to respond.” This is the second such shipment of donated equipment and supplies, with more supplies from other correctional agencies throughout the United States scheduled for later this year.
Secretary Crosby, Region 4 Director Marta Villacorta, and Warden Ron D. Jones stated that they are committed to this program, and will continue to lend their support in every way possible.
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Region III Recruitment Team Provides Results!
The Region III recruitment team is on a roll! The team hired a record number of correctional officers for Lowell CI.
Since July 2004, Lowell CI has grown by 130 Full Time Employees, 94 of those positions in security alone. The Region III Human Resources, Recruitment Section, working with Correctional Officer recruiters at Lowell and Marion CI, succeeded in filling 143 Correctional Officer positions from October 2004 - May 2005.
This incredible team effort to employ Correctional Officers and keep vacancies low suceeded despite the fact that for calendar year 2004 Lowell had a 24.2% turnover rate.
The goal of the recruitment team is to hang a “NO VACANCY” sign at Lowell CI. With managers and supervisors no longer concerned with staff shortages they are able to run a more efficient operation keeping overtime low, stress to a minimum and making Lowell an overall safer place to work.
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The Personal Side of Leadership
By Evelyn Ploumis-Devick, Ph.D., Corrections Foundation, Inc., Executive Director and Leadership and Professional Development Administrator for the Florida Department of Corrections
The three sides of the symbol for the Department's Leadership Initiative stand for three aspects of leadership--personal, professional and community. This is the first of three articles describing fundamental aspects of individual leadership.
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“Leaders inspire our courage to pursue our dreams.”
Leaders have a way of inspiring us to reach deep within ourselves and search inwardly to see what cannot be seen and hear what cannot be heard by others. Directly or indirectly the most effective leaders unite us with our personal vision and aspirations. Leaders energize us to believe in ourselves and others. Great leaders seem to lift away our fears, model the way, kindle our enthusiasm and an “I can do it” attitude. Who are these leaders? They can be of direct or indirect influence. Those that lead us can be anyone including parents, family members, friends, co-workers, children (including our own children), mentors, teachers, individuals from the faith community, authors, athletes, someone we casually meet or even characters in books.
Think about someone that lead you to believe in yourself and motivated you to not just dream or hope that you could accomplish something but activated your personal passion to act and strive to reach some aspect of your potential. What were some of their personal characteristics that influenced you? Did they lead by example and share their stories? Were they positive in their attitude and way of communicating with you? Did they listen to what you said as well as what you didn’t say? Did they encourage your courage to feel, think and most of all believe that you could succeed? Did they inspire you to have a plan of action and build relationships and pathways that would support your success as well as resiliency to see obstacles and set-backs as learning opportunities?
Leaders, sometimes unknowingly, are masters at building relationships between what is and what can be. They touch our heart and understand that the best leaders must first lead themselves to discover their potential. With a strong personal foundation, we are then able to enable others to act by modeling the way, encouraging the heart and inspiring a shared vision of what can become a reality.
Stop, Look Within, and Listen Carefully
From a personal perspective, it is important to stop long enough to articulate your vision of the future. It is vision and a strong sense of personal purpose that serves as the driving force behind any success. It is our individual responsibility to orchestrate our success by achieving balance between what we feel, think and do. Consider the phrase used by futurist Joel Barker. “Vision without action is merely a dream. Action without vision just passes the time. Action with vision can change the world.” The world that is changed may be the world that is a reality to you, your family, community or organization. What is accomplished at a personal level can inspire change that can make a difference for others locally and even globally. Change requires action. Change within oneself is the real challenge of leadership and at the heart of lasting success.
Here are some personal strategies you may wish to consider as you develop or expand your personal and professional perspective for lifelong learning and lasting success.
- Articulate your personal purpose in life in one sentence.
- Seek mentors and build trusting and respectful relationships.
- Mentor youth, they are our most promising investment in the future.
- Keep your perspective by keeping things simple. This will help focus your life’s energy, build the strength of your character, and remind you to believe in yourself and in others.
- Surround yourself with positive people and influences.
- Never lose hope. Hope is the beacon that strengthens your spirit.
- Always make time to reflect, dream, love, learn, and look forward to the future.
- Have the faith to be resilient even in the toughest and most challenging of times.
- Seek ways to balance and care for your body, mind and spirit.
- Remember to forgive others and yourself. It is vital to your resiliency and health and will also lead the way through that which may seem dark.
- Fan the flame burning within your heart so that your thoughts will be positive and energize you from within. Others will be magnetized by your radiance and follow your lead.
- Express your appreciation to others in words and in writing. Your thank you will be deeply appreciated and become an inspiration to others.
Inspire Yourself and Others
What inspires energizes purpose and passion. What inspires others preserves hope and focuses our personal energy to expect the best. Leading is about believing and listening to the heart with a backdrop of reason. An inspired vision of what can be is the driving force behind any success. Your personal leadership is the foundation to building a dynamic future for yourself and the lives you will touch. The building process is up to you and begins with you believing in yourself and living fully in the present. The only time we really have is the now. It is the little things we do today that will influence the success of tomorrow. Welcome the leader within you today.
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Jefferson CI celebrated National Nurses Week (May 6 - 13). The week-long celebration culminated in a luncheon provided by the Employee's Club on Friday, May 13.
The Medical, Dental and Psychiatric staff served our nurses a chicken, hamburger & hotdog lunch with all the trimmings. Prizes were awarded to the nursing staff, as well as certificates of appreciation for a job well done.
Staff from security, classification, maintenance and administration made sure that the nurses at Jefferson CI knew they play a most valuable role in the success of the Institution's over-all achievements. The nursing staff is composed of: Hazel Francis, SRNS; Melanie Wilson, ARNP; Teresa Graham, SLPN; Melody Linder, SLPN; LaShanda Williams, SLPN; Deloris Townsend, SLPN; June Wood, SRN; Bobbie Akins, SRN; Ross Nicholson, SRN and Kay Joseph, SLPN.
On behalf of Warden Mark Redd, Salvador Gallardo, M.D. and the entire staff, we thank these professionals for the job they do every day.
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Corrections Foundation Annual Membership Campaign: When You Join We All Win!
By Jim Williams, Chairman - Corrections Foundation Membership Committee
When emergencies occur in our lives, it is often caring people who make the difference in how we cope and adjust to the challenging events. Since 1998, The Corrections Foundation's Employee Assistance Program has been a friend to many Department of Corrections employees and their families in times of emergency and need. Your membership and generous support make this program possible and we thank you.
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The Foundation held its Annual Membership Campaign during the months of March and April with a goal of informing every employee about the existence of the Foundation and giving them the opportunity to become a member. For $26 a year, or $1 a pay period, you not only help us reach out to others in need, you ensure that as a Department of Corrections employee, you too can request assistance if a qualified emergency crisis occurs in your life.
During the 04/05 FY to date, the Foundation has been fortunate to assist 196 employees by distributing $267,388 through the Employee Assistance Program. These individuals were faced with devastating circumstances, and thanks to employees who are members of the Foundation, we were able to provide immediate assistance during their time of need.
Employees who have received assistance are so grateful for the outpouring of support given by their colleagues through the Foundation, below are some of the thank you cards and notes the Foundation has received this year.
"Dear Corrections Foundation Family,
Thank you so much for the generous contribution. I believe this foundation is truly a blessing. My family and I are very fortunate to have such thoughtful and caring friends. I am especially grateful to my "Department of Corrections family" for all their support."
- Senior Clerk, RMC
"I want to thank the Corrections Foundation for their recent help during a great time of stress for me. I never thought I would have to use the resources of this organization, but I am so grateful you were there when I needed you. Keep up the good work."
- Correctional Probation Specialist, St. Petersburg Probation and Parole
"I am very thankful to each and every member of the Corrections Foundation for the support during a very difficult time. Everyone at Lancaster CI are like family to me and I am proud to work with such good people. Thank you so very much!"
- Correctional Officer, Lancaster CI
"I just wanted to thank you for the generosity that the Corrections Foundation so graciously extended to my family and I in a great time of need. I think the Corrections Foundation is one of the greatest things to come along in a long time, and I know that it has helped many families in need."
- Officer, Mayo CI
Campaign Results
The final statistics reflect your overwhelming support with a 7% overall increase in membership. We are proud to report that 76% of Service Centers and Central Office, 52% of Institutions and 70% of Community Corrections employees are members of the Foundation.
Cash Prize Drawing Winners
Winners of the cash prizes were randomly drawn on May 25, 2005. Congratulations to the winners listed below.
| New Members |
| Yusuf Douglas-Bey - Marion CI William Phillips - Liberty CI Roderick Monroe - Taylor CI Jason Tranumn - Columbia CI |
| Increased Members |
| Janice Strause - Liberty CI David Ramos - CFRC Beverly Nagel - Cocoa Work Release James Wood - Lake CI |
| Total Members |
| Michelle Knapp - Baker CI Martha Harrop - Health Services Avey Brown - Union CI Adam Taylor - Columbia CI |
We are proud to announce the winners of the Regional competition for $500 for the winning regional offices. These regions worked very hard to promote the Corrections Foundation and will be rewarded for having the highest per capita increase in membership during the campaign. The winners of the Regional awards are Region III Institutions with an impressive 14% increase from 34% to 48% employee participation and Region I Community Corrections with a 1% increase from 73% to 74% employee participation.
As a Corrections Foundation Board Member, I want you to know how much your $1-a-pay-check allows the Foundation to do. We are changing lives and our potential to help increases with each new membership. I want to thank you for your support and welcome your advice on how we can serve Department staff better. This is your Foundation, established in 1996 by state statute to support DC personnel, programs and services and we thank you for being a part of an organization that gives so much back to fellow employees.
Not a member yet? It is easy to join and we would love to have you. You can receive a form to join by visiting the DC website and clicking on the Corrections Foundation link or you may call or email Sheri Logue, Administrative Director at (850) 410-4475 to receive the form.
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Lancaster CI Presents Corrections Foundation with First Facility Membership
Lancaster CI served as the host institution for the monthly meeting for FCCD Chapter 15 on April 21. Former Secretary, Louie L. Wainwright, now President of the Corrections Foundation and Jim Williams, Volunteer of the Year and Membership Chairman, spoke about what the Foundation means to all of us.
Approximately 140 employees heard speeches, after a great meal. After the program, Colonel Annette Rolling presented Wainwright with a check for $500 and an application for Silver Membership with the Corrections Foundation. This was given by the Lancaster CI Employees' Club on behalf of Lancaster CI. The former Secretary graciously accepted and stated that Lancaster CI was the first institution in the state to apply for a facility membership.
Warden Farcas followed suit by pledging a facility membership application from Cross City CI. Just another example of Department of Corrections employees making sure that we support our family and those who care for us. Membership in the Corrections Foundation and FCCD both increased on this day of fellowship.
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| Correctional Compass May 2005 |