By Bill Vidonic
The Pittsburgh Tribune-Review
GREENSBURG, Pa. — When Shirley Moore Smeal was hired in 2000 for her first management position within the Pennsylvania Department of Corrections, she said, she didn’t feel welcomed by everyone.
“I think some felt I had no place working inside a correctional facility, that my job was at home and in the kitchen,” said Smeal, the correction department’s executive deputy secretary. “We’ve made strides, but there’s more work to do.”
The corrections department is hosting the 2014 Women Working in Corrections and Juvenile Justice Conference from Sunday through Wednesday, with a theme of “Barriers, Boundaries, Balance and Beyond.”
Some issues that women face include equal pay and balancing work and family life, said Smeal, one of the conference speakers.
“I believe there are inherent challenges for women not only working in the department of corrections, but any criminal justice agency that’s predominately male or traditionally male, to be on a level playing field and just to be able to be recognized for the contributions they can make for their organization, for leadership, for professional development, and to enhance the organization overall,” Smeal said.
She added that more than 750 conference attendees show that it’s an important issue.
“We’re filling a need here and providing opportunities,” Smeal said of the conference. “The response says that we need to do this.”
Other scheduled speakers include: Gov. Tom Corbett and his wife, Susan; Pennsylvania Superior Court Judge Mary Jane Bowes; Allegheny County Judge Kim Clark, administrative judge of the family division of the 5th Judicial District of Pennsylvania, and U.S. Olympic Track Team member and NCAA women’s basketball champion Marion Jones.
Bowes said the conference “encourages women in corrections to come together and receive support and provide support to each other.”
Organizers will screen the “Kids for Cash” documentary, which charts the story of two Luzerne County Common Pleas judges charged with accepting kickbacks to place juveniles in detention centers. Other topics to be covered during the conference include reducing recidivism, hospice care in prison, and trends for drug and alcohol use among youth.
The conference is being held at the Wyndham Grand hotel, Downtown. For information, go to www.cor.state.pa.us.