Leading with Excellence

Leadership is the focus of this issue of American Jails. It also happens to be the focus of a Core Topic area that AJA is developing content for the Jails and Justice Support Center Website.

Solid leadership is essential to ensure that a jail operates safely, effectively, and humanely. Jail leaders must be adept in all facets of leadership, including managing culture, workforce development and management, financial oversight, managing change, strategic planning, and many other areas.

Being in a position of leadership in a jail involves unique challenges. Financial and human resources are often limited, and the days are long. To be successful, you must be adaptable in your ability to solve problems and to tackle new challenges, which are never-ending in a jail. You must be a transformational leader who can make things happen under difficult circumstances.

The decisions you make stand to have a tremendous impact on the safety and welfare of your corrections staff, the incarcerated individuals under your care, and the surrounding community. Everything you say and every action you take is potentially subject to intense public scrutiny.

AJA leads the way in providing the training you need to be successful as a leader in a jail. Our National Jail Leadership Command Academy (NJLCA), offered in partnership with the Corrections Management Institute of Texas (CMIT) at Sam Houston State University, is widely recognized as the most comprehensive leadership training for jail administrators. NJLCA provides training for succession preparation and the development of leadership skills for transitioning into senior leadership positions within jails.

AJA also offers regional leadership academies across the country throughout the year. The mission of the academies is to provide new supervisors with the tools to become skilled and competent leaders.

As valuable as all these training opportunities are, the greatest value is the professional contacts you make that will continue throughout your career. You will connect with other jail administrators who understand the challenges you face, which may not be as unique as they may seem to you at the moment you are dealing with them. Whatever the situation, it is likely that one of your contacts has already dealt with it and will be able to provide practical solutions.

As a member of AJA, you also have an opportunity to serve in leadership positions within the association. Whether you opt to serve on a committee or run for a leadership position on our Board of Directors, you will find your service to AJA to be one of the most memorable and rewarding experiences of your career.

So, immerse yourself in all things related to AJA and tap into the power of what makes AJA unique. We are all about jails, and we are here to support you in taking your leadership skills to the next level.

CHRIS D. DANIELS, MPA, CAE Executive Director American Jail Association