Indiana's Superior Court IV Chief Adult Probation Officer, Steven Eyrick, has been working in the corrections field for over two decades, and he tries to approach each offender as an individual who needs the right tools to overcome their problems.

Eyrick was recently named the Correctional Manager of the Year by the Indiana Correctional Association (ICA) which chose Eyrick after seeing that his work and philosophy in the probation field is getting results.

Q: What philosophy do you have when you go to work everyday?

Eyrick: I've always said and believed that my job is to eliminate my job. I realize that won't necessarily happen, but if I can influence offenders to change their behavior and thought processes to the point where they no longer commit future activity – then I've won. I always try to focus on the idea that if you work on the way these offenders respond to situations, and try to teach them the positive and correct ways to process those thoughts, you can stop them from re-offending. But really, when someone is invested in rehabilitation, you can feel it. You can see it in every fiber of their being.

And, I have to say that I have had a great experience working with one judge in particular. Judge William Boklund and I have had a lot of opportunities to sit down and talk about philosophies and directions in terms of the corrections field. We work together and take input from each other – we look at journals and news reports and we use that information to figure out how to approach issues in the corrections field. I have been in a unique position to work so closely with this judge. He believes in the same things I do – and locking a person up isn't the answer. There are so many different types of people with different types of problems and we have to take each offender into consideration. We have to help these people find a way to get out of what they are doing.

Q: What methods have you used to deal with parolees that have made you so successful?

Eyrick: We have explored a number of avenues when addressing parolees and offenders. Our main focus has always been to lower recidivism rates and we have incorporated a number of programs into our facilities to accomplish that goal. We have looked at programs in different states and tried to use those examples to our advantage. More than anything, we just try every way possible to help these offenders understand their behavior needs to change so that their lives can change.

We do make use of some technologies, as well. For instance, we use The Shield when necessary, which is an ankle bracelet linked to a type of beeper – victims carry the beeper and if the offender comes close, the beeper alerts the victim and the authorities. Implementing that technology has been a real help in extreme cases, because it goes beyond a simple paper restraining order.

Q: What kind of positive responses have you received through your work in the corrections field?

Eyrick: Well you know, it's funny that you ask. About a year ago, I was leaving the courthouse to go to my office and a man stopped me. He said ‘Hey, Steve, do you remember me?' And I said, ‘No, I don't'. So he told me that he had been one of my parolees. He said that I had made him get drug tested, and he was found positive for cocaine. But after he tested positive for cocaine, he went into rehab and cleaned his life up. He came back to thank me for changing his life.

These positive things aren't frequent – but they happen. There are a lot of people out there that do clean up and clam down after even just the process of being arrested – they are embarrassed so they self-correct. But some people are open to changing their lives and overcoming their problems. Some people have problems that just aren't going to be healed – and those are the tough ones. We have to set structure and guidelines for these people – we need to help them help themselves. They have to understand that their behavior has a reaction – and they are responsible for it.

Q: How do you feel about receiving the award at this point in your career?

Eyrick: This award is definitely a high point in my career. I've been a probation officer since 1986, and before that I worked for a sheriff's department. Obviously, I didn't win this award on my own, I didn't get these results on my own – I have a great judge to work for, and I have a wonderful staff that does a great job of helping me. There are so many people involved that deserve a part of this – I'm just so humbled and pleased. This has been a great experience.