Century Correctional Sergeant Named Statewide Employee Of Year

May 17, 2012

A Century Correctional Institution employee has been selected as the Florida Department of Correction’s statewide Institutions Employee of the Year.

Sgt. Charles Gilliard has been employed at Century Correctional Institution for over 19 years. During his employment he has been a Work Squad officer, Work Squad sergeant, Classification officer and training officer. He has also served on special squads such as the Shotgun Squad, Baton Squad, and team leader for the Crisis Negotiation Team.

When the Department of Corrections increased focus on reentry for offenders about five years ago, Gilliard picked up the initiative and run with it, according to the DOC.

Since then he has served as Century CI’s Reentry Coordinator and the driving force for the success of the program. When the responsibilities and requirements of the reentry program began to take away from his duties as a classification officer he took a demotion back to correctional officer sergeant to better assist the agency while not losing any ground in his reentry efforts.

During this time he has developed relationships with numerous outside agencies that have helped facilitate reentry programs for Century CI, including the University of West Florida, Lakeview Center, Department of Children and Families, Community Drug & Alcohol Counsel, Escambia County School District, Escambia Human Relations Commission, Pathways for Change, and others who have contributed to Century’s reentry program success.

Gilliard has also developed relationships that helped to establish the availability of the “Operation FreshStart.” reentry assistance center for the Florida Department of Corrections where inmates being released into Escambia County can go for assistance.

With there being no formal budget established at the institutional level for reentry, Gilliard’s accomplishments are more than noteworthy, according to the DOC.

He has also worked with several community Task Force committees to help them understand departmental procedures so their agencies will be better equipped to assist inmates upon release, and better able to help them reintegrate into family and community.

As a result of Gilliard’s efforts, Century was the first corrections institution in the state to be recognized with the Secretary’s Blue Ribbon Award for Excellence in reentry, and the first institution to be awarded the FCCD award for reentry.

Submitted photo for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.

Comments

2 Responses to “Century Correctional Sergeant Named Statewide Employee Of Year”

  1. cedcarter on May 18th, 2012 10:46 am

    just wanted to say thanks for helpn me make a successful transition back into the community eleven years ago. you really have made a difference in alot of peoples lives. aleast there are still some people on earth with compasssion that realize they too have sinned even if they never went to prison

  2. Snow on May 17th, 2012 3:37 pm

    You are the man. congratulations

Written by William Reynolds · Filed Under News