National Correctional Employees Week

May 06, 2009

Thousands of AFSCME members across the country, working in both maximum- and minimum-security facilities, state prisons and county jails, keep our communities safe by putting their lives on the line every day.

They are people like Daniel Meehan, a corrections sergeant at the Waupun Correctional Facility in Wisconsin and AFSCME’s Corrections Officer of the Year last year. A CO for 27 years, Meehan has mentored hundreds of young officers. As president of Local 18 (Council 24), he energized his co-workers to engage in political action, such as fighting anti-labor initiatives or budget battles in the state legislature.

When one of his co-workers was falsely accused with a felony charge, Meehan created a defense fund to defray his legal expenses and pushed for remedial legislation to address the statutory travesty of a “John Doe” investigation. Also, during a hostage crisis, Meehan assisted the warden and command staff at the Waupun facility to negotiate the safe release of the corrections officer who was being held.

AFSCME salutes these brave men and women:

"This week is National Corrections Officers Week when we recognize the extraordinary service provided by corrections officers across the United States. These men and women are doing a difficult and important job in our criminal justice system — safeguarding the public from those who would do us harm. Too often, their voice and experience are undervalued by those in government who seek to privatize their jobs or cut their pay and benefits. More than 85,000 corrections officers and corrections employees have joined forces with AFSCME to fight for safe workplaces, better pay and benefits and to uphold the standard of professionalism. We are proud of the work they do, day in and day out. We salute their service and will continue to fight for them and the valuable work they do for all of us."

— AFSCME President Gerald W. McEntee