2022 News & Announcements
+ December 7, 2022: President's Message
Happy Holidays Correctional Practitioners and Business Partners,
As we move through the holiday season I have been reflecting on all of the things I have to be thankful for. My family, friends, and health are very important to me, as is with most people. I am also very grateful for my job and all of the wonderful people I get to work with. I also realize that I don’t express my gratitude enough. Sometimes I get mired in the daily grind and lose sight of the many blessings I have. I want to say thank you to each one of you. Thank you for making a difference in the lives of others and thank you for choosing a noble profession.
Thank you for your service and happy holidays.
Zacc
+ October 25, 2022: President's Message
October 25, 2022: President’s Message
Good day Corrections Professionals and valued Business Partners,
The CTA Board is gearing up for our 2023 Technology Summit, which will be held Sunday, June 18 - Wednesday, June 21, 2023, in Ft Myers, Florida!
Additionally, you will soon be receiving the call for presentations from President-Elect Wendy Ling.
As the theme for the 23rd CTA Summit is ‘Riding the Wave of Technology’, we are looking for presentation ideas that embody this theme with a wide range for possible discussion. We would like to highlight and celebrate any successes and help others avoid project pitfalls with lessons learned. With the theme, we are looking to consider the different audiences in our midst. These are broad suggestions, and we are soliciting your input and ideas in developing the technology-focused presentations and panels for our next gathering. Examples of possible topics for each audience are included but not limited to the following suggestions:
I. Inmate / Offender Population
Re-entry lifecycle – successes/challenges related to technology
Offender Management (focused discussion on various aspects— sentence calculation, population management, facility management, transportation, property, etc.)
Education / Vocational Programs
Inmate Monitoring (RTLS, facility movement, ankle bracelets / GPS monitoring)
II. Corrections Staff / Probation and Parole Staff / Corrections IT Staff
Automation and Efficiency Gains
Staffing Challenges (retention, recruitment, scheduling, remote work, etc.)
Network / Infrastructure challenges
Cybersecurity
Operations Technology (body cameras, body scanners, cell phone detection, drones, thermal fence cameras, etc.)
III. Corrections Services / Industries / Vendor Partners
Food Service
Inmate Tablets
Inmate Phone Services / Monitoring
Canteen / Commissary
Medical Services (telehealth, pharmacy, EHR)
Other
Thankfully the area of Ft. Myers where the conference will be held was mostly spared from significant damage during the recent Hurricane. The Luminary Hotel is right across the street from a lively downtown scene, offers many amenities, and has given us the “All Clear” to continue with our planning activities.
If you have any questions, please don’t hesitate to contact me. Please look out for the upcoming email for the call for presentations. I look forward to seeing everyone in Ft. Myers, FL in June of 2023.
Zacc Allen
President
Corrections Technology Association
804-836-4920
+ July 26, 2022: President's Message
As I embark on my tenure as President of CTA, I would be remiss not to start off by thanking those individuals that have volunteered countless hours which have made CTA what it is today. The CTA Board and Staff, past and present, have inspired me due to their passion for technology, willingness to teach and mentor, and dedication to the corrections profession.
As the CIO for the Virginia Department of Corrections, one may ask why I would take on this additional responsibility that no doubt will require countless hours of work over the next year. The answer for me is simple — I believe in the mission of corrections which is ultimately to provide a safer community for us all to live and work. Technology plays such a vital role in this mission as almost every aspect of corrections now touches some element of technology.
I have attended CTA Summits for many years and I cannot underscore the value the CTA has provided to me professionally. The relationships that I have formed over the years have not only resulted in many I now call friends, but have also provided me with a network of experienced and knowledgeable technology professionals whose insights have proven invaluable.
The CTA Board of Directors and Staff are made up of some of the most dedicated, knowledgeable professionals that I have ever been associated with. I am delighted to continue to work alongside such a fine group of individuals.
I am honored and humbled to be chosen for this position and I look forward to continuing the great work of those that have come before me.
With Warm Regard,
Zacc Allen CTA President
Chief Information Officer
Information Technology Unit
Virginia Department of Corrections
804-887-8012 (w)
804-837-0286 (c)
+ May 2, 2022: President's Message
Good day Corrections Colleagues!
If you haven't already done so, please take a few minutes to complete the below survey to inform the CTA Board of Directors on how we can broaden our service to the corrections community. We will be reviewing the results at the CTA Summit and I hope you will share your valuable input. The survey will remain open until May 15th.
Our event is almost here! The program and Guidebook app will be available very soon, details forthcoming.
I look forward to seeing you at our 22nd Annual Technology Summit at the Hilton Ballpark, St. Louis!
Thanks,
Jerry Brinegar
President
Corrections Technology Association
+ April 11, 2022: President's Message
Good day Corrections Colleagues!
As we draw nearer to this year’s technology summit, I wanted to take a moment to recap and thank all the speakers that have so graciously agreed to address us in St. Louis.
Our welcome speaker is Anne L. Precythe, Director of Missouri Department of Corrections.
The keynote address includes Nigel Poor, Earlonne Woods, and Lieutenant Sam Robinson, the collaborators of the podcast Ear Hustle.
The closing panel is comprised of technology leaders that will discuss the global challenge of connecting innovation to strategy in the corrections domain.
There are also 21 workshop sessions with speakers from the corrections community, both practitioners and vendors, scheduled throughout the event.
A very big thank you from CTA to each speaker for your willingness to participate and share at our first in-person summit in 3 years!
Additionally, we will have the exhibit hall and technology showcase, where you can learn more about our vendor sponsors and the products and services they offer to advance the field of corrections technology. Not to mention other fun events planned!
The early bird rate of $375.00 is ending on 4/17…there is still time left for practitioners to register at this rate! After 4/17, the regular rate of $425.00 applies. 1st-time attendee rate will remain at $199.00.
Hotel rooms at the Federal per diem rate of $141.00/night will be available through 5/16.
More information about the summit can be found at https://www.correctionstech.org/annual-summit.
See you in St. Louis!
Jerry BrinegarPresidentCorrections Technology Associationpresident@correctionstech.org
+ March 28, 2022: President's Message
Good afternoon distinguished colleagues,
Please see the attached closing panel announcement for the 2022 Technology Summit in St. Louis, MO this June 12th-15th.
The theme of this year's summit is "The Gateway to Innovation" and will be held at the Hilton at the Ballpark hotel. Registration is open and the early bird rate of $375.00 is still available until 4/17/2022.
2022 CTA Technology Summit.
Additional details are located on the CTA website, below.
https://www.correctionstech.org/annual-summit
https://www.correctionstech.org/s/CTA-2022-Closing-Panel-Announcement.pdf
+ March 15, 2022: President's Message
Dear Corrections Practitioner:
The Corrections Technology Association (CTA) is an association of public correctional IT professionals, proudly including cities, counties, states and provinces in the United States, Canada, and other countries, among its members. CTA supports providing outreach, autonomy, resources and the tools needed to discharge important responsibilities within our daily duties supporting the corrections community. Each year, a call for volunteers is sent to recruit those interested in becoming a part of CTA. Below is an outline of those positions available starting this June for the 2022-2023 season and beyond.
Track Chairs
Each year, the President-Elect seeks names of qualified candidates for the track chair positions. There is one position available:
Track Chair. One-year appointed term. This position is for those that are looking to get more involved in CTA and perhaps move toward one of the CTA leadership roles. This position will help develop content for the annual technology summit. The position will work with practitioners and business partners submitting workshops to ensure that the content is relevant and focuses on how technology addresses a business problem/need. If you have a desire to get involved with CTA as well as your corrections peers, plus the drive to help move our industry forward, this is the opportunity for you. Interested candidates should submit a letter of interest to Zacc Allen by May 1st, 2022 at president.elect@correctionstech.org. This position will serve through the Annual CTA Conference in June, 2023.
Board of Directors
Each year, the CTA Board of Directors seeks names of qualified candidates for the Board. The positions and terms available include:
President-Elect. Three-year elected term (consecutive one-year terms as President-Elect, President, and Past President). Each year, one board member is cycling out from office as the Past-President. When elected to the Board in this sequential three-year term, you will be responsible, along with your other presidential colleagues, to:
Provide overall governance of the organization
Chair the CTA Board meetings
Develop a schedule for the following year’s CTA Technology Summit
Propose by-law changes to the membership for approval
Direct CTA’s long-range strategic goals, objectives and event locations
Support CTA’s implementation of its mission
Secretary. Two-year elected term. The Secretary is responsible for keeping the official minutes of the CTA Board meetings and performs other duties as assigned by the President or Executive Committee. According to CTA by-laws, members of the Board of Directors shall be qualified members – that is CIOs, IT Directors, or other senior positions with responsibilities comparable to those positions. Persons elected to the Board of Directors must be able to attend monthly conference calls for Board meetings, and bi-weekly calls from March to May, leading up to the summit. They must also attend two on-site meetings for planning in between CTA conferences, historically in September and February/March. Interested candidates should submit a letter of interest to Jerry Brinegar by May 1st, 2022 at president@correctionstech.org. The slate of candidates will be voted upon by the membership at the technology summit in St. Louis, MO, June 12th to 15th, 2022. A list of current CTA Board members can be found at https://www.correctionstech.org/board-of-directors.
CTA Technology Summit
The Board positions also require approximately five days in early June each year to help with the annual summit. It may also involve membership on CTA committees and, on occasion, some members of the Board are asked to act as “ambassadors” for CTA with one of our alliance partners. CTA provides reimbursement for all reasonable travel expenses.
CTA encourages any qualified members who are interested in serving on the Board of Directors or as a Track Chair to submit an application. In addition, we encourage applicants from geographical regions not currently represented on the Board to apply as well: from states, provinces, counties and other municipalities.
We look forward to hearing from you!
With Warm Regard,
Jerry D. Brinegar, PMP
CTA President
+ March 2, 2022: President's Message
2022 Summit – Keynote Speaker Announcement
The Corrections Technology Association is delighted to announce the keynote address for the 2022 Technology Summit, Ear Hustle!
The Ear Hustle podcast brings you the daily realities of life inside prison, shared by those living it, and stories from the outside post incarceration. The Ear Hustle team works in the San Francisco Bay Area, both in San Quentin’s media lab and from offices on the outside, to produce stories that are sometimes difficult, often funny and always honest, offering a nuanced view of people involved with the American prison system, and those reintegrating into society after serving time.
The podcast is a partnership between Nigel Poor, a Bay Area visual artist and Earlonne Woods, formerly incarcerated at San Quentin State Prison, within the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation (CDCR), and was co-founded with fellow inmate Antwan Williams. Ear Hustle is overseen by Lieutenant Sam Robinson, Public Information Officer at San Quentin.
Producing thought-provoking, emotionally moving episodes since 2017, Ear Hustle starts a new season this March.
The theme for the 2022 Summit is “The Gateway to Innovation”, and Ear Hustle is an excellent example of how technology has been utilized in an innovative way to inform and effect change.
The 2022 Summit is quickly approaching! We look forward to seeing you in St. Louis, MO June 12th – 15th at the Hilton Ballpark Hotel.
With Warm Regard,
Jerry D. Brinegar, PMP
CTA President
+ January 25, 2022: President's Message
2022 Summit – Welcome Speaker Announcement
The Corrections Technology Association board is so excited to announce Missouri Department of Corrections Director, Anne L. Precythe, as our welcome speaker for the 2022 Technology Summit, “The Gateway to Innovation”.
As Director of Corrections, Precythe is responsible for the 20 adult correctional facilities, six community supervision centers, a community release center, and more than 40 probation and parole offices across the State of Missouri. This includes approximately 11,000 staff, 63,000 probationers and parolees, and more than 23,500 inmates.
Director Precythe brings over 32 years of service as a Corrections professional into her role as director. Before becoming the second female director for the Missouri Department of Corrections, Precythe served as the Director of Community Corrections in the North Carolina Department of Public Safety.
Anne L. Precythe began her career with the Division of Community Corrections in Duplin County, North Carolina as a Probation/Parole Officer in 1988. During her career in North Carolina, she served in many capacities and was appointed the first female Director of Community Corrections in 2013.
Director Precythe has served on various councils and commissions throughout her career. She was a long-standing member of the North Carolina Probation/Parole Association and continues to support the Correctional Peace Officer Foundation. In 2018, Director Precythe was elected to serve on the Executive Committee of the Correctional Leaders Association and in 2020, she was elected to serve as President of the Association. In 2019, Director Precythe was also appointed to the Council of State Governments Justice Center Advisory Board.
Director Precythe was also appointed to the Council of State Governments Justice Center Advisory Board. Director Precythe was nominated and approved by her peers to serve as a member of the Inaugural Class of the Council on Criminal Justice in 2020. In 2021, she was named Civic Leader of the Year, a Woman of the Year award presented by the Greater Missouri Leadership Foundation.
Anne is married with two married daughters and four grandsons.
We look forward to Director Precythe welcoming us to the great city of St. Louis and kicking off our Summit!
With Warm Regard,
Jerry D. Brinegar, PMP
CTA President
+ January 7, 2022: President's Message
Corrections Practitioners and Business Partners, In preparation for our upcoming 22nd Annual Technology Summit in St. Louis, MO the CTA Board is seeking presentations that align with the theme "The Gateway to Innovation".
Please click on the link below and fill out the survey for your presentation to be considered.
The due date for the Call for Presentations has been extended to February 4th, 2022. https://forms.office.com/r/q4wsh9gkVDFill | 2022 Call For Presentations
Below please find the link to the practitioner registration portal.
Registration costs for practitioners are as follows: Early Bird rate - $375.00 before April 17th, 2022 Regular rate - $425.00 on or after April 17th, 2022 First-time practitioner rate - $199.00 2022 CTA Technology Summit Vendor partners will need to complete the registration form in the Sponsor Guide as in past events. The Sponsor Guide may be downloaded from the CTA website here: https://www.correctionstech.org/sponsorships
We look forward to seeing you in St. Louis in June!
With Warm Regard,
Jerry D. Brinegar, PMP
CTA President