Every day, John Chambers wakes up and puts on his uniform before the sun rises. By 4:30 a.m., he's making rounds as warden of Illinois' Danville Correctional Center. For Chambers, waking up early to establish relationships with staff and inmates alike is a crucial part of his job.

“I come in early every morning and visit with the midnight staff so they don't get lost in the mix,” Chambers says. “I'm a firm believer in keeping an open line of communication with my staff and the offenders. I believe in the utilization of good people skills – I think it's extremely important to step outside of administration walls. You have to be approachable and you have to see what kind of concerns or issues someone might have.”

Chambers, a military veteran, was recently presented with the Chicago Union League's Above and Beyond Award for his support of corrections employees who serve in the National Guard and Reserves. One of his efforts was creating a wall of honor in his facility to highlight the soldiers' service to the country. Inmates pitched in to help build a plaque and picture frames that hold commemorative flags and photographs. For Chambers, it was just the right thing to do.

“I'm a veteran and I have a lot of family that served in the military, too,” Chambers says. “I'm a true American – I believe in what the flag stands for. I respect anybody that enters the military, whether it's during a time of conflict or not, it takes a special person to do that.”

Chambers is also sympathetic of family members who have relatives serving in the National Guard and Reserves.

“We don't only appreciate what they've been through – what their families have been through hasn't been easy either,” Chambers says.

Recently, The Corrections Connection spoke with Chambers about supporting troops -- and going above and beyond in corrections.

Q: What's your philosophy when you go to work every day?

Chambers: The philosophy I've always had is an open door policy. We have to respect one another. Also, I'm totally dedicated and committed to the field of corrections - and I expect the same from my staff.

I'm a firm believer in being firm, fair and consistent. But I can be compassionate when the need arises. I'm a hands-on kind of guy – I think it's extremely important to be seen outside the walls of the administration building and get to know everyone. I have a really good staff up here and I believe in surrounding myself with good people. I'm very open and forthright.

When it comes to dealing with inmates, for me, it's the old cliché that if you can help even one person – it's worth it. And at the Department of Corrections, we have strived specifically to get more programs out there and keep inmates occupied, to give them the tools they need to go back to society and hopefully become a productive part of it. I always keep that in mind.

Also, I give a lot of credit to my parents. I know it sounds corny, but I think my philosophy in general is due to the way they raised me.

Q: What made you want to support the employees serving in the military?

Chambers: I served in the military from 1969 to 1973. I know what my employees are going through. I know first hand what they are facing. That's why I wanted to show my support for them.

I came up with the idea of actually dedicating a wall to them. The support we feel here has carried on to the housing units and into the offender population. This has generated a lot of support. We gave it that personal touch, if you will. Everyone was involved in this and it was great to see it happen.

Honestly, staff is especially important to me – and this certainly boosts morale throughout the facility. We want to give back to those who have given so much to us. This was not necessarily an easy thing to put together. We are a level three, medium- to high- level facility. Quite frankly, it's not like being a monitor on school grounds. This is serious work; we have serious offenders here. But each one of our employees takes this job very seriously.

I tell them constantly: come to work, act professional and be responsible and you'll go home safe at the end of every shift. Don't get me wrong, we have issues at this facility sometimes, but there are issues in any line of work. I give credit to my staff because this wouldn't have been possible without them.

Q: What kind of response did you get from people that saw the wall of support?

Chambers: We've had a lot of compliments, not only from the military, but also from staff in general. And some of our staff did not even know that a particular officer was in the Guard or Reserves, so it was also nice for them to get to know each other. We have a rather large facility – not everybody knows everyone on every shift.

The feedback we've gotten makes me want to continue offering support. We'd also like to have a nice open house for [service men and women] at some point. That's certainly in the works. It's going to be our next step, hopefully.

We want them to be recognized and say a few words of gratitude for their work. This helped us really recognize the courage of these employees. We have an excellent staff here, so it was nice to see them reach out to each other.

Q: How did you feel about being recognized for your efforts?

Chambers: It was a very rewarding experience to go to the event in Chicago to receive the award. Several of the military men and women were there, and it was really heart warming to listen to their experiences serving in Iraq and how appreciative they were of their employers.

Once again, not only are they leaving stateside, they are leaving their employment and their families. It feels good to be recognized, but I just can't say enough about these men and women. I have a nephew who is 18 that just left for Iraq three weeks ago and I think about him daily.

Without a doubt, I will continue to support our staff in the military, and I feel like we, not just me, are making a difference. This has been, all around, a great effort on the part of the staff and the inmates – and it has certainly benefited to recognize those who serve.