By Allen Moore, Public Information Officer

Once again Orange County Corrections Department employees have received national recognition through the American Jail Association (AJA). This year, for the first time, the AJA Correctional Administrator of the Year (large Jails) is from the Orange County as Captain Nancy DeFerrari was selected to receive this prestigious award. Captain DeFerrari is in charge of the Main Facility which is the largest facility in the Orange County Jail System and has more than 1,500 inmates and more than 300 certified and non-certified employees. DeFerrari is a 22-year veteran who worked her way up through the ranks.

Once again, the AJA Corrections Officer of the Year is from the ranks of Orange County Corrections. Master Correctional Officer (MCO) Charles E. Davis is a 17-year veteran of the Corrections Department. For last 13 years, he has worked with teenaged inmates who are being tired as adults. His nomination letter pointed out that he has a personal a goal of molding these youthful inmates into thinking, trustworthy, and talented individuals. 

Both DeFerrari and Davis received their awards at the 26th Annual AJA Training Conference and Jail Expo in Nashville, Tennessee on May 23rd.

They join a long line of officers, civilian employees, and volunteers who have earned national AJA recognitions while employed at Orange County Corrections. Over the past eight years in there have been one AJA Corrections Administrator of the Year, six AJA Corrections Officers of the Year, and three AJA Civilian Employees of the Year, and two AJA Volunteers of the Year who earned their titles from their activities inside the Orange County Jail. Considering that there are more than 3,000 jails in the U.S. for one jail system have employees receive that many awards is truly a testament to the professionalism of the Corrections staff and those who volunteers.