Sheriff Craig Webre announced a Lafourche Parish Sheriff’s Office employee has been awarded Detention Officer of the Year by a national organization. Correctional Officer Sharlette Brown was honored by the National Institute of Jail Operations at the JAILCON24 Southern Regional Conference in Mobile, Alabama, on August 29, 2024.
“Sharlette is an exceptional employee and is most deserving of this prestigious honor,” said Sheriff Craig Webre. “She is a shining light at the Lafourche Parish Correctional Complex and an inspiring role model for her fellow employees.”
Brown began her career at LPSO in 2018. She started as a part-time bonding clerk and later became a full-time Master Control clerk. She now serves as a correctional officer at the Correctional Complex where she was recognized as the Employee of the Month in June 2023. She also received shift awards in both 2022 and 2023 as acknowledgement of her consistent service to the shift. Also notably, she received a lifesaving award in August 2022 for saving an infant’s life.
Major Cortrell Davis, who serves as Corrections Department Head and Warden at the Correctional Complex, nominated Brown for the award. He said, “Ms. Brown is a prototype employee. She leads with her heart and never disappoints.”
Brown said that when she read the mission of the Correctional Complex – to provide and ensure a safe, secure, efficient and constitutional new-generation facility – she felt an overwhelming sense of excitement. Her heart was full of joy because she has a deep desire to help the facility staff reach the mission in the spirit of excellence. Brown said, “This profession gives me the opportunity to make a positive impact in the lives of others.”
ABOUT NATIONAL INSTITUTE OF JAIL OPERATIONS:
The National Institute for Jail Operations (NIJO) is dedicated to serving those that operate jails, detention, and correctional facilities. Training is often based on best practices rather than case law due to administrators not having the time, resources, or ability to research relevant case law training. Policies, procedures, and training must be centered and built around current case law and statutes. Recognizing the enormous liability and litigation facing administrations and, in an industry where resources are scarce, NIJO provides a compilation of legal-based resources specific to various state statute requirements or Circuit Courts of Appeal. By having these guidelines, NIJO can provide agencies access to a database of industry standards, the ability to conduct self-audits, customizable training, legal consultation, and the opportunity to have their facility Nationally Accredited. Established in 2011, NIJO is the only organization to offer resources under one umbrella with legal-based emphasis.
