[Congressional Record Volume 161, Number 149 (Friday, October 9, 2015)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E1472]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




 CONGRATULATING WARDEN LINDA SANDERS ON HER RECOGNITION BY THE FEDERAL 
     BUREAU OF PRISONS' AGENCY FOR EXCELLENCE IN PRISON MANAGEMENT

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                            HON. BILLY LONG

                              of missouri

                    in the house of representatives

                        Friday, October 9, 2015

  Mr. LONG. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to congratulate Warden Linda 
Sanders, head of Springfield Missouri's U.S. Medical Center for Federal 
Prisoners (USMCFP), on her recent national recognition by the Federal 
Bureau of Prisons' (BOP) Agency for Excellence in Prison Management.
  This distinguished honor highlights outstanding wardens for overall 
management of staff, inmates, and efficient operations. In earning this 
award, Warden Sanders was evaluated on the impact of her innovative 
ideas on the institutional programs she oversees, her steadfast efforts 
to improve the USMCFP, and extraordinary leadership as the head of her 
team.
  Additionally, this honor is a testament to Warden Sanders' impressive 
career in our justice system. In 1987, she got her start as a 
correctional officer in a low-security facility in Sandstone, 
Minnesota. After proving her exemplary work ethic, she was eventually 
named Warden of Lompoc U.S. Penitentiary in California, where she was 
the first female warden and first African American warden. Ultimately, 
after vying for the opportunity to lead the USMCFP, she was assigned as 
the medical center's warden in 2012.
  Overseeing the USMCFP, Warden Sanders is responsible for upholding a 
renowned institution with a rich American history dating back to the 
Great Depression. At that time, Springfield residents gave 620 acres to 
the federal government for the construction of a hospital complex, of 
which the first buildings were completed in 1933. Since, the center has 
cared for the physical and mental ailments of federal prisoners from 
across the nation. The prison even hosted a handful of prisoners with 
infamous names in American justice lore, like John Gotti, Robert Stroud 
(the Birdman of Alcatraz), and Larry Flynt--just to name a few.
  Mr. Speaker, Warden Linda Sanders deserves this body's utmost respect 
for her dedication to our justice system, and I extend her my deepest 
appreciation for her impressive leadership. Her efforts have not only 
made Springfield a better community, but have made me ever-prouder to 
serve the people of Missouri's seventh Congressional District.

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