While each jurisdiction represented in our Association has its own unique characteristics and issues, all of our member agencies share more in common about their work than that which is different. In ASCA, united members can do more to advance the corrections progress than each one alone.

ASCA structures its committees around its business as well as the more pressing goals expressed by the membership and articulated by the President's decisions as to Chairmanship, membership and missions of each committee.  The President has structured the work of ASCA into twelve committees.  Members choose which committees on which they want to sit, with the exception of the Executive Committee, the Nominating Committee, the Information Sharing Committee, and the Past Presidents' Committee.  These committees' membership and structure depend upon the statuses of members and associate members who meet the criteria for sitting on them.

Click here for Current ASCA Committee Chairs and Members updated May 16, 2013.

The U.S. Department of Justice published final standards for the Prison Rape Elimination Act in August 2012. The audit process for PREA compliance will begin in August 2013.  The ASCA PREA Committee will be a conduit to inform Members of information about PREA and the PREA audit process; work to share ideas, policies and best practices between ASCA Members; and be a resource for Members as they prepare for the PREA audit process.

Click here for a list of current members of the PREA Committee.

Click here for the PREA Committee Mission Statement.

Click here to link to the PREA Committee web page.

The Racial Disparity Committee examines correctional current policies and practices that generate racial disparities; promotes promising practices for eliminating racial disparity within our systems; and actively advocates to influence policies that produce racial disparities within the correctional system and to suggest solutions that my eliminate these disparities. 

Click here to link to the Racial Disparity Committee member list updated April 30, 2013.

Click here for the Racial Disparity Committee's Mission Statement.

Click here to link to the Racial Disparity Committee web page.

The Executive Committee, composed of four ASCA officers and four regional representatives, and the immediate Past President who must be a sitting member of ASCA, directs the Association’s functions and activities, including management of committees, contracts, fiscal affairs, grants, special projects, and external relationships with the federal government, special commissions, national associations and foundations.

Click here for the Executive Committee member list updated March 5, 2013. 

Click here for the Executive Committee's Mission Statement.

Click here to Llink to the Executive Committee web page.

The Program and Training Committee  designs and develops trainings/programs that are 1) relevant to the membership’s current needs for specific information, 2) enriched by the research and study of experts and the experiential wisdom of fellow members who are dealing successfully with challenging issues, and 3) tailored for new and experienced members.

Click here to link to the Program and Training Committee member list updated April 30, 2013.

Click here for the Program and Training Committee's Mission Statement.

Click here to link to the Program and Training Committee web page.

The Past Presidents' Committee provides the opportunity for former presidents of ASCA to contribute their experience and knowledge for the betterment of the Association, to formally acknowledge the contributions of former members with an annual Louie Wainwright Award, and to encourage higher education to the children of correctional employees through the awarding of the Susan M. Hunter Scholarships.

Click here for the Past Presidents' Committee member list.

Click here for the Past Presidents' Committee's Mission Statement. 

Click here to link to the Past Presidents' Committee web page.

On January 17, 1989, Mike Francke, then Director of the Oregon Department of Corrections, was murdered as he left his office in Salem. In the summer of 1991, a former Oregon inmate was convicted of his murder and sentenced to life in prison. In 1992, ASCA established the Michael Francke Award, an annual award to recognize an outstanding ASCA member and that member's dedication to corrections. The award serves to celebrate Michael Francke's contribution to the field and his support of ASCA. 

Click here for the Francke Award Committee member list.

Click here to link to the Francke Committee web page.

The Substance Abuse Committee was established to provide a forum for the exchange of ideas and current initiatives regarding substance abuse treatment and services.  Substance abuse is the leading cause of increasing prison populations and specifically female prison populations.  The Committee will focus on prevention, alternatives and best practices with limited resources.

Specific goals include: 

• Identification of good, evidence-based best practices;
• Collaboration with Federal partners such as NIC, SAMHSA, NASMHPD and BJA;
• Advocacy for both preventative and community-based alternatives; and
• Collaboration with state and local partners such as state mental health directors and state substance abuse directors.

Click here for the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Committee member list April 30, 2013.

Click here for the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Committee's Mission Statement.

Click here to link to the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Committee web page

The Performance Measures Committee uses Performance Based Measures System (PBMS) to define correctional standards in keeping with contemporary practice; to delineate measures of performance for each standard; to establish key indicators for each measure; to institute counting rules for each indicator; to store the measures on a web database; to produce reports of correctional performance; and to conduct appropriate comparisons of performance across jurisdictions. 

Click here to link to the Performance Measures Committee member list updated March 26, 2013.

Click here for the Performance Measures Committee's Mission Statement.

Click here to link to the Performance Measures Committee web page.

The ASCA Reentry and Community Corrections Committee works to identify and communicate best practices in reentry and community corrections. The work includes exchange of ideas that prepare inmates for release and building relationships with community resources to increase the successful integration of released inmates into the community and reduce the number of inmates who return to prison.

Click here to link for the Reentry and Community Corrections Committee member list updated April 30, 2013.

Click here for the Reentry and Community Corrections Committee's Mission Statement. 

Click here to link to the Reentry and Community Corrections Committee web page

ASCA is thirsty for research that will support or recommend modifications to out agencies' correctional practices. Since there is not an abundance of empirical research related to our practices, it is important that we not only search out any existing organizational and correctional research regarding effective ideas and practices that can be shared among our members, but that we also approach innovative ideas, programs, practices, and cutting edge correctional technologies with commitment to scientific study and evaluation.

Click here to link to the Research and Best Practices Committee member list updated May 16, 2013. 

Click here for the Research and Best Practices' Mission Statement. 

Click here to link to the Research and Best Practices web page

The critical issues with which administrators struggle are matters of public policy, legislation, litigation, and special interest investigative groups and commissions. The Committee not only gathers and shares information concerning those issues, but also brings the concerns to ASCA members, often with recommendations, resolutions and or plans for addressing them.

Click here to link to the Policy, Resolution, Legislation and Legal Issues Committee member list updated April 30, 2013.

Click here for the Policy, Resolution, Legislation and Legal Issues Committee's Mission Statement. 

Click here to link to the Policy, Resolutions, Legislation and Legal Issues Committee web page.

The President of ASCA appoints the Nominating Committee to serve at his or her pleasure. The Committee normally meets every two years to establish a slate of officers for the following two years. The Committee also votes to narrow the Wainwright nominees to two candidates and send the final two to the Past President's Committee for a final vote.  Otherwise, the Committee meets when directed to do so by the President and in accordance with the Constitution and Bylaws of the Association. 

Click here for the Nominating Committee member list.

Click here to link to the Nominating Committee web page.

The Information Sharing Committee serves ASCA members need for networking by promoting increased information sharing among all its agencies. It’s specific goals are to expedite dissemination of current and relevant correctional information regularly among members, and particularly via asca.net; and to participate in the corrections work of federal information sharing grants/projects and associations that can contribute to ASCA's agenda to promote professionalism in corrections.

Click here for the Information Sharing member list updated May 16, 2013.

Click here for the Information Sharing Committee Mission Statement that was approved at the July 2012 meeting.

Click here to link to the Information Sharing Committee web page.

Occasionally Members request to be removed from Committees for various reasons.  If you would like to request to be removed from an ASCA Committee please send an email by clicking on this link.  RemoveFromCommittee@asca.net

Members are encouraged to join Committees where they have a special interest or bring knowledge or experience to the group.  If you would like to be a member of an ASCA Committee please send your email request to CommitteeRequest@asca.net.  All Committee appointments require final approval by President A.T. Wall.