[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 156 (2010), Part 13]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page 18877]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                 HONORING ASHBEL T. (``A.T.'') WALL, II

                                 ______
                                 

                        HON. PATRICK J. KENNEDY

                            of rhode island

                    in the house of representatives

                       Thursday, December 2, 2010

  Mr. KENNEDY. Madam Speaker, I rise today to recognize Ashbel T. 
``A.T.'' Wall, II for his stewardship in Rhode Island's Jail Diversion 
and Trauma Recovery Program--Priority to Veterans. His contributions 
have been vital to the success of this program. His work with this 
important issue is simply unmatched.
  Rhode Island's Jail Diversion and Trauma Recovery Program--Priority 
to Veterans addresses the needs of individuals with mental illness such 
as post traumatic stress disorder and trauma related disorders involved 
in the justice system. In recognition of the dramatically higher 
prevalence of trauma related disorders among veterans, this program 
prioritizes eligibility for veterans.
  Director Wall was appointed director of the Rhode Island Department 
of Corrections in March 2000. Prior to his appointment he served in the 
capacity of Assistant Director of Administration since 1987. He was 
Interim Director from October 1999--February 2000. Director Wall is the 
first native Rhode Islander and first employee from within departmental 
ranks to lead the agency in 22 years.
  As director, Wall oversees a comprehensive correctional agency 
encompassing every aspect of Rhode Island's adult correctional system: 
jails, prisons, probation, parole, transitional housing and home 
confinement. He is responsible for setting policy direction and 
supervising all operations for a department that manages about 3500 
pretrial and sentenced inmates in eight institutions and 27,000 
offenders on probation, parole and community confinement. The budget 
totals approximately $160 million and its staff complement is 1,600.
  In addition to his departmental duties, Director Wall serves on 
numerous state and national commissions on a wide range of topics 
including institutional security, prison overcrowding, racial disparity 
and probation and parole. He is a member of state's Information 
Resources Management Board, which sets policy for the state's 
management information systems development.
  He has also served as an expert witness for the Federal District 
Court in the areas of correctional administration and inmate management 
(security issues, classification and gangs) for major litigation on 
conditions of confinement in Commonwealth of Puerto Rico's correctional 
institutions (1994-1999).
  Director Wall has been instrumental in advancing Rhode Island's 
correctional institutions. I wish him all the best as he continues his 
important work on behalf our nation's heroes, our veterans. He will 
continue to carry my own admiration, and that of all who have had the 
privilege to work with him.

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