Celebrating 50 Years of Service: CMIT Advances Practices in the Correctional Field

In 1994, the Correctional Management Institute of Texas (CMIT) opened its doors to officials from prisons, jails, and community corrections throughout the state to offer training and professional development based on the latest scientific studies available.

Spring 2015 Recent Publications

Here is a list of publications recently produced by faculty, students and alumni of Sam Houston State University, College of Criminal Justice.

Celebrating 50 Years of Service: Share Your Stories

by Dr. Charles Friel

During the week of April 19th, 2015, Sam Houston State University's Criminal Justice Center will be celebrating its 50th Anniversary.

An historic component of this celebration will be the placement of letters from our former students in the Time Capsule we created at our 25th Anniversary Celebration in 1990.

We therefore wish to invite all our former students to submit a letter commemorating the one memory that they have retained lo these many years from their studies at the University. These letters will be held in the Time Capsule until the year 2040 when they will be displayed for the benefit of our future students celebrating our 75th Anniversary.

We have several ways to share your stories! Leave your comments on our Facebook page at wwww.facebook.com/shsucj or write us a letter. You can send letters to:

50th Anniversary Celebration Committee
College of Criminal Justice
Box 2296, SHSU
Huntsville, Texas
77341-2296.

Please limit your essays to 400 words or one page in length.

Also feel free to peruse our photo album and help us identify our students and alumni!

Don’t miss out, share a memory with a colleague today and in the future!

Voices Lecture Series: Ben Smith, MADD

Tue, Feb 24, 2015
2:00pm - 3:00pm
Hazel B. Kerper Courtroom
As a Bryan police officer for 28 years, Ben Smith witnessed the impact of impaired driving accidents and arrested more than his share of DWI suspects. After his retirement, he now is helping the victims, families, and friends of those involved in drunk and drugged driving cases.

Grassroots Speaker Series: Dr. Gregory Campbell, U.S. Postal Inspection Services

Tue, Feb 24, 2015
5:30pm - 4:00pm
Haney Auditorium, College of Business Administration

Dr. Gregory Campbell is the Deputy Chief Inspector of Western Field Operations U.S. postal inspection service. He manages seven Western Field Divisions located in Seattle, San Francisco, Los Angeles, Phoenix, Denver, Dallas, and Houston. He is also Executive Liaison for the USPIS Talent Management Initiative. He developed a Law Enforcement Leadership Academy and national mentoring program for the organization.

The Woodlands Center Speaker Series: Current Trends and Issues Involving Drones

Celebrating 50 Years of Service: LEMIT Offers Premier Training Opportunities for Law Enforcement

by Christopher Young

For 25 years, the Bill Blackwood Law Enforcement Institute of Texas, at Sam Houston State University, has provided cutting-edge training and research for Texas law enforcement officials.

Celebrating 50 Years of Service: Director George Killinger Leads First Decade of Development

Director George Killinger

Dr. George Killinger was the first director of the Institute of Contemporary Corrections and the Behavioral Sciences, building a strong foundation for the College that would influence programs for decades to come.

Celebrating 50 Years of Service: Courtroom Offers Real Life Legal Drama

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Alumnus Eric Pedersen remembers watching parts of the “Uncle Hilty” trial in the CJ Courtroom while a student at Sam Houston State University. Little did he know at that time that the prosecutor in the case would inspire his future career.

Celebrating 50 Years of Services: Internship Spread Around the World

Internship Coordinator Dr. Jim Dozier began as a student at Sam Houston State University. Although he was already a patrol officer with the Houston Police Department when he attended the College, he completed an internship as a community service officer, teaching school children about the department.

Celebrating 50 Years of Serving: Leading Academia in the Field

Many scholars from the College of Criminal Justice have risen to the top of their fields as educators, researchers, policy analysts and practitioners. One of the pinnacles in academia is the Academy of Criminal Justice Science (ACJS), and 10 faculty or former students have served as President of this leading institution.

Celebrating 50 Years of Service: Crime Victims' Institute Enlightens Public on Victim Issues

In 2003, Sam Houston State University inherited the Crime Victims’ Institute from the Texas Attorney General’s Office and turned it into a premiere research and advocacy agency for victims’ issue in Texas and beyond.

Celebrating 50 Years of Serving: Dean Richard H. Ward Leading Academia in the Field

As a former New York City police detective, Dr. Richard H. Ward helped strengthen the ties between academics and practitioners during his tenure as Dean of the College of Criminal Justice from 1999 to 2006.

Real Talk w/CJ: Stephen Ingram, Texas Parks & Willdlife

Thu, Feb 19, 2015
2:00pm - 3:00pm
Hazel B. Kerper Courtroom

One of the duties of Game Warden Stephen Ingram is to lead youth hunts.As a Game Warden, Stephen Ingram leads youth hunts.

For eight years, Stephen Ingram has protected the natural resources of Texas on land, water and the border.

National Organization of Hispanics in Criminal Justice

Wed, Feb 18, 2015
6:30pm - 7:45pm
Lowman Student Center, Room 315

Celebrating 50 Years of Service: Dean Timothy J. Flanagan Oversees Growth of College

As Dean of the College of Criminal Justice and Director of the Criminal Justice Center from 1991-98, Dr. Timothy J. Flanagan helped the program grow with the addition of the Correctional Management Institute of Texas (CMIT), a doctoral program in clinical psychology, and a new satellite site at the University Center in The Woodlands.

Celebrating 50 Years of Service: Dean Vincent Webb Creates Three Departments at College

During his tenure, Dr. Webb ushered in many new changes and initiatives at one of the oldest and larger criminal justice programs in the country. To demonstrate the extensive specialties available in the criminal justice field, he created three distinct departments to guide students in their chosen fields, including Criminal Justice and Criminology, Forensic Science and Security Studies. He also recruited new faculty in diverse areas of research, including emerging disciplines in biosocial, victimology, homeland security, and forensic science.

Dr. Webb led the College, one of the largest academic programs in criminal justice in the country with more than 40 faculty members, as well as the George J. Beto Criminal Justice Center, a highly integrated facility which incorporates a number of research and professional training institutes, including the Bill Blackwood Law Enforcement Training Institute of Texas, the Correctional Management Institute of Texas and the Crime Victims’ Institute, to name a few.

Dr. Webb also was successful at establishing new institutes in the field, including the Southeast Texas Applied Forensic Science Facility, one of only six "body farms" in the world for forensic anthropology research and an independent crime lab to assist jurisdictions in the area with toxicology and illegal substance testing. He also oversaw High Incident Drug Area (HIDTA) program for the Office of National Drug Control Polices as well as Project Safe Neighborhoods funding for police departments. Finally, he administered Impaired Driving Initiatives, a Department of Transportation funded program to get drunk and drugged drivers off the road by training law enforcement, school officials, employers and probation and parole officers to recognize the signs of impairment.

Here are some other programs established under Dr. Webb:

• Initiated the Ph.D. in Forensic Science and master's degrees in Security Studies, Forensic Science and Victim Services Management.
• Started online degree programs at the College, including bachelor's degrees in Criminal Justice and a master's degree in Criminal Justice Leadership and Management
• Introduced the Criminal Justice Career Fair
• Established dual degree program with Zhejiang Police College in China
• Won Outstanding Book Award from Academy of Criminal Justice Science for co-authoring Policing Gangs in America
• Implemented programs to train and educate law enforcement and corrections officials from other countries
• Began the Major Cities Research Initiative, which targets research and development programs to control crime in the state’s six largest cities

"It has been a real privilege to serve as Dean and Director since coming to Sam in 2006," said Dr. Webb. "This faculty and staff have been great to work with -- they simply are the best! The criminal justice/center faculty, staff, and alumni can take pride in all that they have accomplished and they can look forward to a very bright future."

Celebrating 50 Years of Service: Beto Chair Attracts Top CJ Scholars to SHSU

Since its inception in 1981, the Beto Chair has drawn about 100 top scholars in the field to Sam Houston State University (SHSU) to discuss the current and pressing issues in criminal justice.

Celebrating 50 Years of Service: Police Research Center Manages Data for Police

by Romney Thomas

Today’s world is one of near constant communication, and for agencies that align with the criminal justice field, speedy and accurate communication is key.

100 Club Leads the Way in Scholarship for Officers and Students

Chief of Staff Martha Montalvo, Executive Assistant Chief George Buenik, and Assistant Chief M.D. Slinkard credit the scholarships with allowing them to continue their education and, as a result, to move to top positions in the agency.

“It helped me tremendously,” said Martha Montalvo, one of four Executive Assistant Chiefs at the Houston Police Department. “I had a growing family and if it had not been for the scholarship, I wouldn’t have been able to continue my education. We had a lot of other responsibilities.”

During the last quarter century, the 100 Club funded 720 scholarships for active police officers and supervisors as well as criminal justice students – many of them at the College of Criminal Justice.

One of the recent student scholarship recipients was Frank Mosca, who received the Howard Moon Scholarship in 2013 and is now working as an officer with U.S. Customs and Border Protection in Nogales, Arizona. He was grateful to the organization that helped him pursue his dream of becoming a federal agent, that continues to protect officers with specialized equipment and that supports families of officers killed in the line of duty.

“I felt very honored to have received a 100 Club scholarship,” said Mosca. “It is a very prestigious organization.”

Originally founded in 1953 by 100 men, who each contributed $100 to assist families of fallen law enforcement officers, the organization later expanded its offerings to fund life-saving equipment for law enforcement agencies and scholarships for officers to further their education in criminal justice. Today, there are more than 30,000 members who contributed $42 million to dependents, equipment and scholarships. The organization, which covers 18 counties in Texas, initially collaborated with Sam Houston State University to offer those educational opportunities, and later expanded the program to two other Texas universities.

“The end result has been a win-win,” said Rick Hartley, Executive Director of the 100 Club. “If an officer becomes management or part of leadership, they are better stewards of taxpayer money and they have better-run agencies.”

The 100 Club offers a limited number of full scholarship in criminal justice annually -- both undergraduate and graduate -- to law enforcement officers serving in state, county or municipal department in Angelina, Austin, Brazoria, Brazos, Burleson, Chambers, Colorado, Fayette, Fort Bend, Galveston, Grimes, Harris, Liberty, Madison, Montgomery, San Jacinto, Walker, Waller and Washington counties. The candidates apply and are accepted after meeting the eligibility requirements at each college.

“I think it has had a positive impact,” said Hartley. “Many of these graduates have gone up into full management position and have had a pretty strong impact on their agencies.”
In addition, like many other professionals, management position in law enforcement require advanced degrees. “It provides a ticket to move up,” Hartley said.

The 100 Club also offers endowed scholarships to more than a dozen outstanding criminal justice students at the college annually who are planning to join the field. Those scholarships were created to honor past chairmen of the organization.

Montalvo said the weekend master’s program at SHSU helped her in so many ways.

“It was a good program that exposed me to other law enforcement individuals from across the state,” she said. “It has very comprehensive classes that help me understand policies not only at the local level, but nationally. Also, the statistics classes helped me write proposals, and it upped my game and prepared me for the things I would do down the road.”

Montalvo also built valuable friendships.
“We had a lot of chiefs from other police departments,” said Montalvo. “There was a lot of discussion of issues, but I also learned a lot from just listening.”

Originally from Chicago, Buenik chose Houston because it was a growing department with lots of opportunities for advancement. As a father of two young girls in 1990, the 100 Club helped him to get back into graduate school just as he began studying for his Captain’s promotional exam.

“I think studying and going back to school helped me get good study skills and helped with the Captain’s exam,” said Buenik. “It helped me to understand the concepts and was an advantage for promotions in my career. I learned leadership and management skills as well as statistics and budget, which help me as a manager.”

In September, Buenik was promoted to Executive Assistant Chief in charge of Strategic Operations, including Airports, Special Operations, Air Support, Criminal Intelligence, the Tactical Units for SWAT, Bombs and Hostage Negotiations, Professional Development, Recruiting and Employee and Staff Services.

Under his command is Assistant Chief M.D. Slinkard, who handles the Homeland Security component. Slinkard received his bachelor’s degree at Sam Houston State University and knew the importance of education in the law enforcement field. Through the 100 Club, he too enrolled in the master’s weekend program.

“It was a great opportunity,” said Slinkard. “I was able to make the commute on weekends and the school and the 100 Club made it possible to accomplish it.”

“While the bachelor’s program gave me the basics to operate as a police officer on the streets, it didn’t allow us to step back and look at the history of policing or to think about the future of planning on how to better manage police resources,” Slinkard said. “It provided the proper amount of policy and theory and challenged you to think a little differently.”

Celebrating 50 Years of Service: Advancing Forensic Study at STAFS

STAFS

by Romney Thomas

The Southeast Texas Applied Forensic Science Facility is one of the only body farms in the U.S.

The concept of forensic science and forensic anthropology has been fascinating since shows like “CSI,” “NCIS” and “Bones” hit the airwaves more than a decade ago. Part of the appeal of these programs is found in the adrenaline-pinching crunch of solving a case and catching a criminal using advanced scientific techniques.

SHSU Offers First Multi-Disciplinary Ph.D. Program Forensic Science

Ph.D. Degree

Sam Houston launches the first multi-disciplinary Ph.D. degree in forensic science.

Sam Houston State University launched the nation’s first interdisciplinary doctoral degree in forensic science to meet the growing needs of public and private crime labs and to train faculty for higher education programs in the expanding field.

Juvenile Gang Members Top One Million in U.S., New Study Finds

There are over one million juvenile gang members in the U.S., more than three times the number estimated by law enforcement, according to a recent study.

Celebrating 50 Years of Service: Dean Strecher Ushers in College of Criminal Justice

Upon his appointment in 1978, Dean Victor Strecher persuaded SHSU’s administration to elevate Criminal Justice to become the institution’s seventh college.

Celebrating 50 Years of Service: Changing Criminal Justice Around the World

Across the globe, international graduates from the College of Criminal Justice are making a difference in policing and academia in their native countries.

Celebrating 50 Years of Service: The Legacy of Dean Charles Friel

Dr. Charles Friel during his time as Dean of the College of Criminal Justice.

Dr. Charles M. Friel took over as Dean and Director from 1986-1991 during one of the worst budget crises in Texas, but he found new and innovative ways to keep the College growing and prospering.

National Organization of Hispanics in Criminal Justice

Wed, Feb. 11, 2015
6:30pm - 7:45pm
Lowman Student Center, Room 315

Helping Juveniles at the Crossroads of Texas

After nearly 30 years of serving adult and juvenile probationers across the state, Alumna Pama Hencerling recently was presented the Amador R. Rodriguez Lifetime Achievement Award from the Juvenile Justice Association of Texas (JJAT).

Beto Chair Lecture: Dr. James Forest

Fri, Feb 6, 2015
9:30 - 11:00 A.M.
Hazel B. Kerper Courtroom


Dr. James ForestDr. James Forest, an expert on terrorism and national security, will present "Apocalypse Not: The Limited Threat of Terrorism with Weapons of Mass Destruction" at the first Beto Chair Lecture of the Spring.

Dr. Forest, a Professor and Director of the Security Studies Program at the University of Massachusetts Lowell, serves as Director of the Center of Terrorism and Security Studies and is a Senior Fellow with the Joint Operations University, where he conducts research on emerging terrorist threats, insurgencies, transnational criminal networks, and U.S. Special Forces training.

National Organization of Hispanics in Criminal Justice

Wed, Feb 4, 2015
6:30pm - 7:45pm
Lowman Student Center, Room 315

LIFE Expands Across State Lines at LEMIT

In November 2014, 23 female officers, representing 16 law enforcement agencies across the state of Arizona, attended the first Leadership Inventory for Female Executives (LIFE) class held outside the state of Texas.

Dr. King Appointed to IACP Policy Board

Dr. William King, Associate Dean of Research and Program Development at the College of Criminal Justice, was recently appointed to the International Association of Chiefs of Police (IACP) National Law Enforcement Policy Center (NLEPC), Advisory Board. The board helps develop model policies and procedures for law enforcement agencies.

“I am honored to serve the IACP and the law enforcement community by serving on the Policy Center’s Advisory Board,” said Dr. King. “This appointment reflects the influence of the College of Criminal Justice in justice issues at the national level, and I am looking forward to contributing to IACP’s mission.”

Dr. William King conducted a study of the NIBIN system for the National Institute of Justice. The College, one of the oldest and largest criminal justice programs in the country, has been at the forefront of research on issues in the field. As Associate Dean, Dr. King oversees projects on such key issues as eyewitness identification, sexual assault investigations, ballistics evidence, gangs, crime victim issues, toxicology and DNA studies, to name a few.

“Dr. King’s contributions to the board are directly aligned with the contributions the College of Criminal Justice at SHSU hopes to make to the field,” said Interim Dean and Director Phillip Lyons. “Good policy and best practice are informed by sound research and Dr. King is very much on top of it.”

The College also conducts research for the Bill Blackwood Law Enforcement Management Institute of Texas (LEMIT), a premiere professional development program in management and leadership for law enforcement professionals in Texas.

“Having Dr. Bill King appointed to such an important IACP advisory committee, such as the National Law Enforcement Policy Center (NLEPC), is a testament to his expertise on law enforcement related issues,” said Dr. Rita Watkins, Executive Director of LEMIT. “Dr. King has researched and submitted key results in a manner that is instrumental in helping police agencies in Texas and across this county establish and implement sound policies and procedures. Ongoing research in the law enforcement field helps agencies identify best practices and Bill King is committed to getting timely research out to the field and in the hands of practitioners who face those issues daily.”

As an arm of the International Association of Chiefs of Police, the 11-member NLEPC board oversees the development and update of model policies for day-to-day operations and administrative procedures in law enforcement agencies. Since 1987, the board has produced more than 125 white papers on key issues in criminal justice, most recently on the use of body worn cameras by police officers.

“The intent is to put together model policies and procedures to help provide the best practices in administrative and operational areas,” said Philip Lynn, Manager of the NLEPC. “Each one comes with a research paper that reflects legally sound policy and contemporary and best practices, particularly for medium and small-sized cities. These are not standards, but rather recommendations.”

The board, which includes representatives from police leadership, accrediting agencies and academia from across the country, are expected to examine policy revisions on missing children, patrol dogs, personal appearance and standards of conduct at upcoming sessions. These revisions are generally reviewed if the policies are outdated or if there have been changes to the law.

The model policies are currently contained in seven volumes and cover the gamut of day-to-day operational issues of departments. Among some of the most recent issues discussed are:

• Excited Delirium
• Recording Police Activities
• Interviewing and Interrogating Juveniles
• Critical Incident Stress Management
• Special Weapons and Tactics
• Retaliatory Conduct by Employees
• Missing Persons with Alzheimer’s
• Social Media
• License Plate Readers
• Stalking/
• Pregnancy
• Personal Relationships in the Workplace

Giving the Gift of Security

Students from Sam Houston State University, College of Criminal Justice, Department of Security Studies, presented New Danville, a community for individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities, with the gift of security in December 2014.