Louie L. Wainwright

Before entering the private sector in 1987, Louie L. Wainwright was the acknowledged Dean of American Correctional Administrators based on his twenty-five years of continuous service as Secretary of the Florida Department of Corrections. Upon his retirement from state government, he established Wainwright Judicial Services, a criminal justice consulting firm based in Tallahassee, which he continues to operate. For the past nine years he has served as President of the Corrections Foundation of Florida, a non-profit serving the Florida Department of Corrections with more than 25,000 members.

During his tenure with the Florida Department of Corrections, Wainwright’s vision and “hands-on” involvement resulted in the development of prototype programs and designs for both community facilities and major institutions. He served as advisor to other state corrections departments in reorganizational efforts and testified as an expert witness in Federal Court and before the U.S. Congress.

In 1990 the Florida Council on Crime and Delinquency honored him by the establishment of its Louie L. Wainwright Award to annually recognize the member best exemplifying the professional standards he espoused. The Association of State Correctional Administrators at its 2004 Summer Business Meeting announced that its annual Past Presidents’ Award honoring a former Director would henceforward be known as the Louie L. Wainwright Award.

Reggie Wilkinson, Ron Angelone, and Tom Beauclair congratulate Louie Wainwright

The ASCA Past Presidents' Committee presented the first Louie Wainwright Past Presidents' Award at the ASCA Business Meeting in Chicago in 2004. The award honors a former director who has continued to make contributions to ASCA and to the field of corrections. Prior to making the presentation, Ron Angelone, Chair of the Past Presidents' Committee, announced that the Past Presidents' Award would be known as the Louie Wainwright Past Presidents' Award, to recognize Louie Wainwright for his many accomplishments in the field and his continuing contributions to ASCA as an Associate Member.

L-R: Louie Wainwright, Bob Brown, Patricia Caruso (MI), and Ron Angelone

Past Presidents' Committee Chair Ron Angelone (l) and ASCA President A.T. Wall (r) present the 2012 Louie Wainwright Award to George Vose

Former Rhode Island Director George Vose was recognized as the 2012 recipient of the Louie Wainwright Award at the July 23, 2012 ASCA Business Meeting.

In 1991 the Governor of Rhode Island appointed George as Director, for the Rhode Island Department of Corrections.  George headed up Corrections, Probation, and Parole in Rhode Island, a position he held for nearly ten years.  George took a troubled system and turned it into a well functioning department.

Since leaving the Rhode Island Department of Corrections George has served as Executive Vice President of Civigenics, Inc., Superintendent for Security and Operations at the Bristol House of Corrections, and Senior Associate for MGT of America.  George has also provided training programs for ACA and ASCA.

Former Wainwright Awardee Michael Fair said of George Vose in his nomination letter: George Vose is perhaps the most deserving professional for this honor that I know.  He represents the dedication, commitment and professionalism that every member of this industry strives for. He has served in all aspects of the industry during his 36-year career – as a public servant, a private-sector professional, a member of institutions, organizations, and professional associations, and as an expert witness, — with the highest degree of integrity and accomplishment.

L-R: ASCA Co-Executive Director George Camp, ASCA Past President Larry Norris, Larry Fields, ASCA President A.T. Wall

Louie Wainwright, John Rees and ASCA President Patricia Caruso (MI)

John D. Rees was announced as the 2010 Louie Wainwright Awardee by Past Presidents' Committee Chair Ron Angelone during the ASCA Summer Business Meeting.  In 1969, John D. Rees received his BA in Sociology and Political Science from the University of Kentucky, one year later earned his MS in Criminology & Correctional Administration for Florida State University. John began his diverse corrections career in 1972 as Director of the Division of Special Institutions at the Kentucky Bureau of Corrections in Frankfort, Kentucky.  While at KBC, he moved on to the position of Executive Assistant/Commissioner where he served as liaison with the Governor’s staff, was responsible for policy development, budget preparation, and special projects within the corrections system.  In 1978, he left for the Oklahoma Department of Corrections where he served as Assistant Deputy Director of Institutions and Deputy Director of Program Services.  He was responsible for the supervision of all Oklahoma Adult Prisons to insure their compliance in all department policies and procedures.  He was also responsible for offender classification, planning and budget preparation for the Division of Institutions, compliance with federal court orders, and the accreditation process, as well as being responsible for the system-wide supervision of 10 adult prisons.  In 1980, he returned to the Kentucky as Warden at the Kentucky State Reformatory in LaGrange, Kentucky, making him the administrator of the largest adult institution in the state. 

John’s career course led him to Corrections Corporation of America where in 1986 he served as Facility Administrator of the Santa Fe New Mexico County Detention Center.  Between 1989-94, he continued with CCA serving as Warden at Venus PRC in Texas (1989); Warden at Winn Correctional Center in Winnfield, LA (1990-92); and Warden at South Central Correctional Center in Clifton, Tennessee (1992-94).  His tenure with CCA led him to serve four years as CCA’s Vice President of Business Development in Nashville, Tennessee.  John directed the nationwide objectives of CCA’s marketing and development team, hired and supervised each governmental affairs representative and lobbyist on behalf of CCA, testified before legislative committees at all levels of government regarding the benefits of privatization; directed and encouraged relationship building efforts with unions, state employee groups and other potential adversaries; and directed CCA in the active participation of appropriate corrections and legislative organizations.

John again returned to Kentucky in 2004 to serve as Commissioner of the Kentucky Department of Corrections where he served until retirement in 2008. 

Since 1980, John has been involved in teaching assignments at NIC, NIJ, NAC, and the Civil Rights Division of the U.S. Department of Justice.  He was a consultant to Norval Special Master (Williams vs. Lane, District of Illinois), and from 1998-2004, he served as a consultant to Corrections and Criminal Justice Administration in Madison, Indiana.

After retiring, John remained actively involved with ASCA including playing a major role in ASCA’s BJA funded Corrections-Law Enforcement Intelligence Sharing Project in 2008 and 2009. From 2008-present John works as a consultant at Rees and Associates Consulting in Madison, Indiana, providing services to companies and government agencies.  He also trains and provides consulting services to correctional services, and is an expert witness and provides legal guidance to those in the corrections industry including for the National Institute of Corrections, National Institute of Justice, the National Academy of Corrections, and the United States Department of Justice (Civil Rights Division, Washington, DC). He is also a consultant to Norval, Special Master (Williams vs. Lane, northern District of Illinois.

Louie Wainwright congratulates 2009 award winner Rick Seiter

The 2009 Louie Wainwright Award was given to ASCA Associate Rick Seiter at ASCA’s Summer Meeting in Nashville August 9th. Rick’s tenure in corrections spans more than three decades and includes more than twenty years in a variety of leadership roles with the Federal Bureau of Prisons. He simultaneously served as assistant director of the Federal Prison System for Industries, Education and Training and chief operating officer of Federal Prisons Industries, a government corporation that sells goods manufactured by inmates.

 In 1983, Seiter was appointed by Governor Richard F. Celeste as Director of the Ohio Department of Rehabilitation and Correction and served almost six years. As Director, Seiter oversaw operations of 18 correctional facilities, the parole board and parole supervision, a staff of 8,000 and an annual budget of approximately $400 million. He also oversaw the construction of 10,000 new prison beds with construction costs of more than $500 million.  Rick joined CCA in 2005.

Louie Wainwright presents the Wainwright award to Ken McGinnis

Mr. McGinnis served as Director of the Illinois Department of Corrections from December 1989 to April 1991 and Director of the Michigan Department of Corrections from April 1991 until January 1999. Mr. McGinnis worked his way through the Illinois system from counselor to warden. As Director of Michigan, Mr. McGinnis was successful in converting the Parole Board from seven to ten appointees; Increasing funding for community corrections and local sanctions; limited inmate property in cells, resulting in a more orderly and safer environment for prisoners and staff; and creating Emergency Response Teams.

Ken has been an active and involved member of both ASCA and ACA, serving on ASCA Correctional Safety Committee and Reentry and Community Corrections Committee and on ACA Legal Affairs Committee and as Chair and Vice Chair of the Adult Corrections Committee. Mr. McGinnis is the recipient of the 1995 Roscoe Pound Award presented by the National Council on Crime and Delinquency and the 1996 Walter Dunbar Accreditation Achievement Award presented by the Commission on Accreditation for Corrections.

Jon Ozmint (SC) and Parker Evatt

At its Summer Business Meeting in Kansas City on August 12, 2007, the Association of State Correctional Administrators (ASCA) honored Parker Evatt for his lifetime contributions to corrections in South Carolina and across the country. In celebration of his contributions, the former Commissioner of the South Carolina Department of Corrections received ASCA’s 2007 Louie Wainwright Past Presidents' Award.

Parker Evatt served as Commissioner of the South Carolina Department of Corrections from 1987 to 1995. During his tenure, he instituted a number of progressive programs for the benefit of the community, staff and inmates. His sincere concern for the welfare of others was demonstrated by programs, which included a daycare center for children of employees of the SC DOC, inmate literacy programs, a program to recruit and train correctional officers from a pool of welfare recipients, drug and alcohol treatment for inmates, and leadership training for top managers.  During his tenure, he also coordinated the opening of seven major institutions including a new institution for female offenders. Prior to his role as Commissioner of the Department of Corrections, Mr. Evatt had already been intimately involved with the Corrections field having served as Executive Director of the Alston Wilkes Society, a private correctional agency that worked in tandem with the Department of Corrections to operate community programs and coordinate volunteer activities. As the Alston Wilkes Society's first employee, he began with $5,000 and one inmate clerk. By the time he left 21 years later, the agency had a budget of $3.5 million and 130 employees.  Under his direction, membership grew to 6,000, making it the largest organization of its kind in the United States. 

Mr. Evatt also served as state legislator in the South Carolina House of Representatives from 1974 to 1987. Some of his many legislative contributions to corrections include the establishment of a fee program for probationers and parolees, a children's code, a victim compensation fund, creation of earned work credits for the Department of Corrections and many additional initiatives.

In addition, Mr. Evatt was active in many corrections-affiliated organizations, including the Association of State Correctional Administrators, American Correctional Association, Southern States Correctional Association, the International Halfway House Association and the South Carolina Correctional Association. He received many awards from national organizations honoring his exceptional commitment to public safety, including the 1990 Maud Booth Volunteer of the Year Award from the National Volunteers of American, the 1991 Outstanding Victim Advocacy Award from the National Victim Center and the 1994 E.R. Cass Award, the highest acclaim bestowed by the American Correctional Association.

John Gorczyk

L-R: Ron Angelone, Michael Fair, Richard Stalder, Louie Wainwright

L-R: Louie Wainwright, Bob Brown, Patricia Caruso (MI), and Ron Angelone

The 2004 winner of the Louie Wainwright Past Presidents' Award was Bob Brown, Jr., former Director of the Michigan Department of Corrections. Bob was selected in recognition of his service to the Michigan Department of Corrections, to ASCA, and to other corrections organizations. He was the Michigan Director from 1984 to 1991. Since his retirement, he has continued his support of corrections. He currently serves as a criminal justice consultant and has worked with the prison systems of Connecticut, Illinois and Pennsylvania. He was appointed to serve as consent agreement monitor by the U.S. District Court. In addition he works as an auditor for the ACA Accreditation Commission and has served on numerous advisory committees and community programs.

In presenting the award, Michigan Director Patricia Caruso said, “Bob’s leadership and his commitment to the field of corrections are unwavering. He has managed to accomplish as much in his retirement as many have achieved throughout a lifetime. It has been my privilege to work with Bob, and as Director, it is encouraging to know that I can count on his expertise and continued service to the betterment of our industry.”