2026 ACA 156th Congress of Correction Pittsburgh_Program Book

SUNDAY, AUG. 2

11 A.M.–12 P.M.

in‑prison peer education model and the New Mexico Community Peer Education Program and describe how both use the Project ECHO telementoring model to connect peer educators with medical and behavioral health experts during and after incarceration. Moderator: Daniel Rowan , Senior Program Manager, Project ECHO, Albuquerque, New Mexico Speakers: Daniel Rowan , Senior Program Manager, Project ECHO, Albuquerque, New Mexico; Kira Vaughns , Program Specialist, Project ECHO, Albuquerque, New Mexico Mobile Competency Restoration and Support: How Innovation in Allegheny County is Addressing the Competency Crisis Room: 320 Primary Community of Focus: Behavioral Health Overview: This session introduces Allegheny County’s innovative Mobile Competency Restoration and Support Team, designed to address the competency crisis through a treatment-focused, mobile approach. We will share lessons learned during planning and implementation, highlighting successes, challenges, and strategies for delivering services in the least restrictive setting permissible. The presentation will also review first-year outcomes and demonstrate how this model improves continuity of care and reduces incarceration for individuals found not competent to stand trial. Learning Objectives: • Describe the structure and key components of the Mobile Competency Restoration and Support Team model and explain how it addresses the competency crisis in a community setting. • Analyze lessons learned during the planning and implementation phases, including strategies for overcoming challenges and leveraging successes.

From Idle Time to Purpose: The Evolution of Peer Education in the New Mexico Corrections Department Room: 311 Primary Community of Focus: Adult Corrections Overview: In 1980, the New Mexico State Penitentiary riot exposed how overcrowding, ineffective classification, and the erosion of constructive activities created a volatile mix of fear, idleness, and violence. In the decades that followed, the New Mexico Corrections Department implemented a formal level system and other court‑driven reforms that reshaped custody, housing, and access to programs. This presentation traces how that shift—from unmanaged idle time to structured, purpose‑driven engagement—created the conditions for robust peer education to emerge. Using New Mexico’s prison‑based peer education initiatives as a case study, the session will show how incarcerated peer educators now deliver health, safety (including PREA), and reentry content across facilities, helping to transform idle time into meaningful work that benefits both participants and institutional culture. Learning Objectives: • Describe how the loss of constructive programming contributed to idle time and violence leading up to the 1980 New Mexico State Penitentiary riot. • Explain how the post‑riot classification (level) system created new opportunities for using peer education to turn idle time into purposeful activity. • Describe how incarcerated peer educators can effectively partner with medical and behavioral health services to extend the reach of HCV treatment, health education, and recovery support inside prisons. • By the end of this session, participants will be able to differentiate between the

WORKSHOPS Sunday, Aug. 2 ▼ 8 a.m.–12 p.m.

164 — ACA 156 th Congress of Correction | Pittsburgh