Corrections_Today_May_June_2020_Vol.82_No.3

ACA’s General Session

“The more you serve, the more you get” Ret. Special Agent Timothy Ballard speaks at the ACA General Session T he ACA Winter Conference held its traditional General Session on the morning of Jan. 13 th . The event began with the national anthems and presentation of the flags of the various countries participating in the conference. This included not only the U.S., but also Canada, Mexico, the United Arab Emirates and Colombia, which had its flag and national

anthem on display at the General Session for the first time. ACA President Gary Mohr presided over the presentation of colors and the U.S. national anthem before introducing the ACA Executive Committee and the distinguished guests. Mohr then introduced the keynote speaker of the event. Timothy Ballard is a retired special agent who spent more than a decade working with the Department of Homeland Security to combat human trafficking. Ballard would later leave the Department to form his own organization, Opera- tion: Underground Railroad (OUR) to further work to bring down human trafficking rings and res- cue trafficked men, women and children. OUR’s website states that “OUR salutes our nation’s law enforcement officers and prosecutors at the feder- al, state and local levels who protect our country’s children. Law enforcement professionals skillfully investigate, arrest and prosecute those who violate children. … OUR acknowledges the expertise and extraordinary work done by these dedicated men and women who bravely battle the scourge of child sexual exploitation.” →

Corrections Today May/June 2020 — 75