With more than 28 years of experience at the California Prison Industry Authority (CALPIA), Deputy Director Scott Walker is the recipient of the “Staff Award for 2014” from the National Correctional Industries Association (NCIA).
CALPIA General Manager Charles L. Pattillo nominated Walker for the award. Forty-nine other states also nominated correctional industry staff for this prestigious honor. Walker was first selected as the regional winner.
NCIA announced Walker was the national winner in January, and he was recognized at the National NCIA Conference in April.
The NCIA Staff Award was established in 1980 to recognize the quality of industry staff personnel and recognize superior performance.
“I am thrilled NCIA recognized Scott Walker for his leadership and innovations,” said Pattillo. “It’s because of his commitment and dedication to CALPIA that offenders acquire job skills, which is vital when it comes to reducing recidivism, reducing state costs and, more importantly, increasing public safety.”
Walker has been instrumental in stewarding CALPIA’s 57 manufacturing, service and consumable enterprises in 24 prisons. He said operations are expected to expand to 91 enterprises in 34 prisons. “The big one is in health care maintenance. It is projected to create another 900 offender assignments,” Walker said.
CALPIA is a self-financed and self-sufficient state entity that receives all of its revenue from the sale of products it manufactures.
The recidivism rate among CALPIA inmates is more than 25 percent lower than the general prison population, a success attributed to the job skills that they receive by working in CALPIA business enterprises.
More information about CalPIA can be found at www.calpia.ca.gov.
