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Home » About Norwich » SGS Today »
Donald Williams studied issues of prison sentencing reform while earning his master's degree in justice administration at Norwich University's School of Graduate Studies [photo credit: ©iStockphoto.com/alancrosthwaite].
Campaign slogans don't make for good criminal justice
by Gary E. Frank, correspondent
© April 10, 2009 Norwich University Office of Communications
"Lock 'em up and throw away the key" might be an effective campaign slogan, but it's no way to administer justice, according to Donald Williams, a former prison program administrator and 2006 graduate of the master of justice administration (MJA) program at Norwich University.
"Incarceration definitely has its place, but we're incarcerating too many individuals that would otherwise respond better to treatment facilities within communities," said Williams, who is now director of career services at ITT Technical Institute in Troy, Mich.
The United States has about five percent of the world's population, and about 25 percent of the world's known prison population—a level that many in the criminal justice field believe is due to increased convictions and mandatory sentences for drug offenses. Williams has studied incarceration rates for more than 10 years, going back to when he was an administrator for the U.S. Justice Department's Bureau of Prisons.
"When you look at the number of convictions for drug offenses, you see that some of these individuals are receiving longer sentences than those who have committed violent, heinous crimes," he said.
Williams, whose capstone project at Norwich was titled "Incarceration: Is this the best way approach to today's crime dilemma?", believes that alternatives to imprisonment, such as house arrest, probation, halfway houses and community correctional facilities, could be used much more than they are. Prisons are "budget crunchers," and many jurisdictions are starting to examine alternatives more closely because of rising costs and limited resources.
Williams decided to pursue an MJA at Norwich because he heard positive things about the program and, in particular, because the program's online aspect suited his busy work schedule. He said his Norwich degree provided him with greater insight into criminal justice administration.
In particular, Williams enjoyed interacting with Norwich instructor Paul Katsampes.
"He was extremely helpful. He presented scenarios that forced me to think outside of the box and to consider other alternatives," he said.
Williams is applying new ideas and experience to his duties at ITT Tech, training individuals seeking careers in criminal justice. He went to work at the school almost immediately after completing his MJA. Initially an adjunct professor, Williams quickly rose to become chairman of the institute's criminal justice program.
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“(Williams is) a progressive guy with progressive ideas. He wants to cause change in the system and help people — especially at-risk kids.” |
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Among his first changes as chairman was to revamp the program's advisory board, which is made up of criminal justice professionals. The board had eight members, most of whom were police, parole or probation officers.
"When I looked at the credentials of the committee members, it wasn't very diverse in regards to the six areas of criminal justice: corrections, probation, parole, security, juvenile justice and adjudication," he said.
Members who hadn't been sufficiently active were asked to step down and Williams expanded the board to include representatives from all areas. As a result, he said, the ITT Tech criminal justice program can be reviewed more effectively.
"As changes occur in criminal justice they can provide insight as they review our curriculum, software utilization and equipment," he said.
Williams used his connections to reach out to different law enforcement agencies and set up unpaid internships for students. He also set up specific certification programs, such as defensive tactics, that can be utilized by students regardless of what area of criminal justice they enter.
Katsampes is not surprised by Williams' effectiveness as an instructor, or his holistic approach to criminal justice education.
"He's a progressive guy with progressive ideas," said Katsampes. "He wants to cause change in the system and help people — especially at-risk kids."
Katsampes is now Williams' advisor for an online doctoral degree he is pursuing through Walden University.
Linda Majewski, former campus director of ITT Tech, said Williams has done an outstanding job improving retention in the institute's criminal justice program. In the program's early stages, she said it leaned toward theory instead of offering the hands-on experience students were craving. As a consequence, many students became discouraged and dropped out. Williams, she said, "tweaked" the curriculum so there were opportunities for hands-on experience from the start.
"He got involved in the lives and careers of the students," said Majewski. "I'm sure some day he will be a campus director himself."
Williams hopes to do just that, or move on to teach at a larger institution.
"I enjoy [this work] and I believe I can contribute to whatever the criminal justice field is embarking on," said Williams. "I look forward to being part of changes that will reflect positively on lives and the criminal justice system itself."
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