2026 ACA Winter Conference Long Beach CA_Program Book

Deep Heart — Entertainment that Drives Transformation Room 101 B TRACK: Programming Overview: Corrections professionals face ongoing challenges in rehabilitation, education and reducing recidivism. In this session, Abraham and Ruth share insights from 15+ years of global experience having worked inside over 500 prisons worldwide. Attendees will explore the proven impact of music, art and cultural programming designed specifically for correctional environments. The workshop highlights how creative approaches spark mental engagement, emotional healing and personal transformation across jails, prisons and the entire incarcerated community. Speakers: Abraham Woroniecki , CEO of Deep Heart Charity, Deep Heart, Denver, CO; Ruth Woroniecki , Deep Heart — Director of Programs, Deep Heart — Director of Programs, Denver, Colorado Facing Real Barriers, Achieving Meaningful Outcomes: Multidisciplinary Teamwork in Corrections [ Ψ CE|CME|CE|CERP] Room 102 B Primary Community of Focus: Prisons & Jails Overview: Multidisciplinary teamwork is essential for tackling suicide risk, medical mimics, withdrawal and challenging behaviors in custody—but real teams are made up of people with different communication, leadership and work styles. This session confronts these real-world barriers and provides proven tools— screening, SBAR, huddles and case reviews—to turn differences into strengths. Through realistic scenarios, learning how to resolve conflict, foster trust and build collaboration that improves safety, reduces errors and achieves better outcomes for both patients and staff. Learning Objectives: • Describe how effective teamwork enhances safety and care in correctional settings, while recognizing the risks associated with poor

WORKSHOPS Sunday, Feb. 8 ▼ 8–9:30 a.m.

SUNDAY, FEB. 8

8–9:30 A.M.

A Modern Approach to Correctional Research Room 102 A TRACK: Operational Management Overview: This workshop presents a modern framework for correctional research that integrates risk assessment, staff and inmate self-report data, classification and housing tools, social network analysis and geospatial methods. Developed by the Office of Strategic Initiatives and Modernization, the approach demonstrates how data science can generate timely operational intelligence to improve housing, programming and management. Participants will explore innovative practices that strengthen research capacity, reduce reliance on external vendors and advance data-driven decision-making across corrections. Speakers: Frank Benton , Data Scientist, Texas Department of Criminal Justice, Huntsville, Texas; Wesley Thomas Smith , Ph.D., Deputy Director, Office of Strategic Initiatives and Modernization, Texas Department of Criminal Justice, Huntsville, Texas

118 — ACA 2026 Winter Conference | Long Beach, CA