January 05, 2010
The guest speaker of the day was Jason Medlin. Jason is the warden at the Lake City Correctional Facility here in Lake City. The correctional facility is one of a number of private facilities located nationwide the seek to house certain youthful offenders and those just entering the prison system. He presented the Kiwanis Club with a general outline of the daily activities you might expect at this and other similar facilities. He spoke on the number of programs used to reduce recidivism by intilling a thought change process by which offenders are shown alternative ways to manage their lives through family, faith and community. The program material in Powerpoint format can be downloaded here for those who would like to know more the facility and the programs offered to restore these young men to a productive part of society.
Jason also discussed the value received by the citizens of Lake City and the surrounding community due to the size of their annual budget, coupled with the lower expense per inmate mandate set forth in by the contract with the state. Considering the cost savings, the reduction in recidivism and the ability of the facility to do what many similar institutions fail at doing, this facility has been shown to be a model for other similar institutions.
Jason doesn't take his job lightly. He has continually shown his committment to the youth and this community during his tenure as warden and has encouraged other members of his staff to follow his lead by joining with Kiwanis in an effort to reach children in Lake City and Columbia County. He has been involved in corrections with CCA since 1997 and previously worked in the Idaho Correctional Center and Marion County Jail. Prior to Joining CCA, he also served with the US Army Military Police. Jason graduated with honors in Criminal Justice Administration from the University of Phoenix. If you would like to know more about Jason Medlin or Lake City Correctional Facility, you can visit their their website.
