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James Milowski, Suffolk County, N.Y.~ What a great year for ACO! We ended last year on a high note with a great, and very well attended, Fall Conference at the Snow King Resort in Jackson Hole, Wyoming. Correction professionals from around the country came out to see what we are all about, and left very impressed and with positive feelings that we are making great strides in progressing the profession of Corrections forward. Indeed, ACO has been very proactive in assisting our brother and sister officers nationwide in thier efforts to make the "toughest job in law enforcement" that much better. Whether it was attending rallies to promote correction causes or to fight privatization, or offering expert testimony at arbitrations or legislative meetings on behalf of corrections, they were there! As a result, ACO was proud to host thier first Legislative Days in Washington, D.C. May 7 - 9, 2008 which was extremely well attended, and highly successful! Representatives from over 13 correction organizations representing 12 states walked the halls of congress and the senate lobbying thier elected representatives on key legislation for corrections, and their presence was felt! Many key politicians remarked on the presence of so many Correction Officers on the 'Hill'! Afterwards, ACO picked up support, and crucial sponsorship, from ACCESS Communications in the form of a check for $15,000.00 towards our 2008 Medal of Honor Awards Banquet and Fall Conference in Flagstaff, Arizona. The Rhode Island Brotherhood of Correction Officers also provided sponsorship, and ACO picked up commitments from several new organizational members. As a Corrections professional, it is personally gratifying to be on the ground floor of such a successful, and rapidly growing organization that is truly by and for Correction Officers! ACO is getting noticed as well. Our efforts against privatization are paying off as the privateers have taken the stance that they are in the position to have to recognize our research and statistics as they try to fight our legislation to make all private prisons report their incidents in the same way as the public prisons are accountable, making private prisons as transparent as the professional Corrections organizations. In the past several months the privateers have mentioned ACO by name when trying to ply their wares to government organizations in their quest for 'Dungeons for Dollars'. To this end, ACO is looking to have record numbers attend the 2008 Fall conference in Flagstaff, Arizona September 25 - 28, 2008. Our goal is to have member organizations in every state of this nation, and to extend this combined, large voice to the halls of all our elected leaders and let them know; we will not be overlooked, or forgotten anymore! It is time for the Correction professionals in this nation to take their rightful place among the ranks of law enforcement. We are already held to those high standards, it's time now to claim the benefits that come with it as well! To my brother and sister officers who have already joined the cause and helped ACO grow and prosper; I thank you, and keep up the good work, our efforts are starting to pay off. To those who have yet to join, I would ask you to think about the benefits of coming aboard. You would be joining a nationwide network of corrections professionals where you will benefit from information, intelligence and advice from people who walk the same beat as you, and understand what it is like to maintain law and order among this nation's most notoriously lawless. For information about the 2008 Medal of Honor Awards Banquet and Fall Conference in Flagstaff, Arizona September 25 - 28, 2008 contact Chairman Henry Ruiz 70 West Lake Shore Drive, Rockaway, N.J. 07866, or log onto the ACOIN web site www.COIntel.net. I certainly look forward to seeing old freinds and coleagues this fall, as well as meeting and networking with some new ones! See you in Flagstaff! |
