At its annual awards dinner on November 15^th, 2008, the Association of State Correctional Administrators (ASCA) honored Ashbel T. (“A.T.”) Wall, Director of the Rhode Island Department of Corrections as the outstanding Director of Corrections for 2008.

The award is presented annually to recognize the outstanding ASCA member and that member’s dedication and achievements. ASCA established the award in 1992, to celebrate Michael Francke’s contribution to the field of corrections and his support of ASCA. In 1989, while Director of the Oregon Department of Corrections, Michael Francke was murdered as he left his office in Salem. In 1991, a former Oregon inmate was convicted of his murder and sentenced to life in prison.

A.T. Wall began his correctional career in the neighboring state of Connecticut as a probation counselor. Working his way through law school at Yale University, he later served as Assistant District Attorney in Manhattan, served as Director of the Manhattan Community Service Sentencing Project for the Vera Institute of Justice and a Policy Analyst on law enforcement for the Rhode Island Governor’s Office.

He came to the Rhode Island Department of Corrections in 1987, serving in the role of Assistant Director for Policy and Development, and later was promoted to the position of Assistant Director of Administration before being appointed to the position of Director in 2000. Today, A.T. is the third longest tenured director in the country.