ACI: Department of Corrections in Rhode Island

I told the drug dealing kids "The police are everywhere. I don't want to see you end up at the ACI. I've been there. . . ", I said,
and they looked at me. "To give a poetry reading."

Most of my neighbors have been there too.

Director A.T. Wall

A.T. Wall is Director of the Rhode Island Department of Corrections.

Mr. Wall’s career in corrections began in 1976 as a line probation officer. After his graduation from law school, he served as a prosecutor in Manhattan and then joined the Vera Institute of Justice, where he directed a sentencing project for chronic offenders convicted in New York City. He returned to his native state of Rhode Island in 1985 and worked in the Governor’s Policy Office on criminal justice matters.

In 1987 Mr. Wall was tapped to become Assistant Director for the RIDOC where he subsequently oversaw the central management of all operations and served as the Director’s second-in-command. He was named interim Director in 1999 and appointed Director in 2000. As such, he is the Chief Executive Officer for an agency that includes all aspects of the state’s adult correctional system: prisons, jails, probation, parole and home confinement. He is the longest serving corrections director in the nation and is currently the President of the Association of State Correctional Administrators, the membership association of the fifty state corrections directors.

Mr. Wall received a B.A. degree from Yale University and a J.D. degree from Yale Law School.



Mission Statement


The mission of the Rhode Island Department of Corrections (RIDOC) is to contribute to public safety by maintaining a balanced correctional system of institutional and community programs that provide a range of control and rehabilitative options for criminal offenders.
Guiding Operational Philosophy

We shall maintain appropriate safe, secure, and humane correctional environments while providing for community-based management, supervision, and intervention services for criminal offenders.
We shall demonstrate the highest ethical and professional standards in all our operations
We are accountable to the public for our operations and shall maintain cooperation and open communications with law enforcement agencies, governmental entities, and members of the community.
We seek to foster a spirit of teamwork, unity, and dedication. We actively strive to maintain a diverse and culturally aware workforce. We shall provide staff with opportunities for personal and professional growth through staff development, recognition of staff achievements, and encouragement.
Outcomes need to be measured; the results should direct policy and planning.

Values and Beliefs

The primary mission of the Department of Corrections is to contribute to the protection of the public. This principle forms the foundation for policy, allocation of resources and establishment of priorities, case management decisions, organizational structure, and future development. All Departmental values and beliefs are shaped by this directive.

The Department of Corrections is committed to managing offenders in a manner consistent with public safety.

Levels of confinement, control, and supervision must be determined by considering the law, the crime, the offender, the victim, the community, and available resources.
Offenders must be held accountable and responsible for their offenses, including the effects on victims.
Offenders are responsible for their responses to intervention.
Public safety is enhanced through partnerships with law enforcement, human services agencies and community leaders.

The highest ethical and professional standards are fundamental to the success of the Department.

Department policy and program decisions must be guided by considerations of public safety, humaneness, effectiveness, and quality.
Each member of the Department is obligated to demonstrate the highest standards of conduct.
Every individual -- community member, staff, and offender -- has the right to be treated with respect and dignity.

The Department of Corrections is responsible and accountable to members of the community.

The rights of victims and potential victims of crime must be given priority consideration in all Departmental programs and decisions
The public has the right to be aware of the range of Departmental services, programs, functions, and operations.
The community should be involved with the Department in problem solving; community organizations, volunteers and community-based agencies should play a role in program development and service delivery.

Reduction of crime and/or amelioration of the effects of crime can be furthered through appropriate efforts at rehabilitation.

The potential of offenders to become law-abiding and contributing members of society may be enhanced through intervention.
Opportunities for rehabilitation and community integration should be provided to the extent that is both feasible and responsible, given resources and individual capabilities.
The range of rehabilitative and control options should be sufficient to offer a reasonable opportunity for criminal offenders to become more responsible.

Goals

To maximize community protection through the institutional confinement of offenders and appropriate levels of supervision in the community.
To recognize and respect the rights and needs of the victims of crime.
To involve community organizations, volunteers, and outside professionals in program development and service delivery.
To foster the best possible relations with the public and all elements of the Criminal Justice System.
To assist offenders in their rehabilitative efforts by affording them the opportunity to participate in essential rehabilitative services in the institutions and community.
To encourage offenders to become accountable for their actions.
To enhance the continuum of community and institutional services in order to provide for appropriate management of criminal offenders.
To employ, explore, and utilize research, technology, equipment, planning, and evaluation in the development of programs and standards.
To provide ongoing staff development in order to increase job performance, abilities, and professional opportunities.
To promote a positive and safe work environment characterized by the mutual respect of all staff.
To act in accordance with the highest ethical, legal, and professional standards.