ACA awards recognize exceptional commitment.

Each year at the American Correctional Association's Winter Conference, four distinguished awards are presented to honor exemplary leadership and service as they recognize corrections' stars.

The Exemplary Offender Program Award is presented to a program that effectively and creatively addresses a specific offender problem or need.

Nowhere will you find more courageous people than those nominated for ACA's Medal of Valor. Anyone in corrections who has performed an act of extraordinary bravery on the job in the time frame outlined on the nomination form is eligible for this award.

The Peter P. Lejins Research Award honors an association member who has made significant contributions to correctional research. It is presented in honor of Professor Emeritus Peter P. Lejins, an ACA past president and distinguished correctional researcher.

Because education is an invaluable resource, ACA presents the Martin Luther King Jr. Scholarship Award each year to a minority recipient attending an institution of higher education. Any ACA member may nominate individuals from disadvantaged backgrounds who have demonstrated a need and a willingness to continue their undergraduate or graduate or graduate training related to a career in the criminal justice field.

Entry Rules

Entries for ACA awards should include the following information:

* The official nomination form;

* A summary addressing each award criterion. Please remember to submit only three single-spaced pages--this rule will be strictly enforced. Since the Awards Committee will be looking for superior performance in the criteria noted on the entry form, it will help your case to organize the presentation around those criteria; and

* One set of relevant supporting documentation.

Please note that some awards require information in addition to these general criteria as outlined on the nomination form. All entries must be complete to be considered for an award, so please review all criteria before submitting an entry. Because of the volume of entries received, ACA is unable to return entries or supporting documentation unless requested. All entries must be received at ACA by June 2.

For additional information and details on specific awards, see the following award nomination forms or contact Jennifer Bechtel at 1-800-222-5646 or [e-mail].

Don't let an exceptional job or commitment to corrections go unrecognized--send in your nomination(s) today

Heroes are a rare breed. But corrections seems to have more than its share of them--men and women who are exemplary leaders in a demanding profession. Seize this opportunity to see their hard work and integrity rewarded.