AJA Names Sharon Abel Civilian Employee of the Year

A Wisconsin county jail educator will be honored at the American Jail Association’s 27th Annual Training Conference & Jail Expo in Sacramento, California on May 7. Lakeshore Technical College instructor Sharon Abel will be named the recipient of the AJA Civilian Employee of the Year Award for 2008.

Since 1991, Sharon has been responsible for Lakeshore Technical College’s Adult Basic & Secondary Education for the Incarcerated Program in Sheboygan County.

According to Corporal Roy Kluss, one of the nominators of Sharon, “When she first started in 1991 our GED/HSED was non-existent. We had a small room with a couple desks, no computer, a few books and no funding to speak of. Since that time she has turned this program into a model for the rest of the state and nation. She is known locally and nationally for the work that she does in and out of our Detention Center. The work Sharon does outside her normal duties including research, grant writing, fund raising, presenting at conferences, coordinating our inmate library and basically anything that’s needs to be done shows the dedication she has to her students, LTC, the Sheboygan County Sheriff’s Department and our community. Her advocacy for education and life-long learning is contagious and truly makes a difference in the lives of her students and our whole community.”

In addition to the AJA award, Sharon was honored as Region III Correctional Education Association Teacher of the Year in 2006.

Commenting on the AJA award, Sharon says, “It is a tremendous honor to have been selected as the American Jail Association’s Civilian Employee of the Year 2008. Over the years I have depended on the AJA for learning and networking opportunities. As an instructor and a researcher, I place a high value on the AJA’s professional publications especially American Jails: The Magazine of the American Jail Association. I am thankful to Cpl. Roy Kluss and Sheriff Michael Helmke for nominating me. Their support along with that of Capt. Karol Salata, Jail Administrator, is very much appreciated. I enjoy my work and I am very fortunate to be recognized for it.”