ICPA Learning Academy: Reaching Beyond Reducing Recidivism - Creating Employment Pathways

Rob Jeffreys

President of the Correctional Leaders Association (CLA), Director of the Nebraska Department of Correctional Services, Board Member of ICPA, United States

Rob Jeffreys is a nationally recognized criminal justice expert with extensive experience leading transformative change to improve prison safety and reentry success. He is a champion of using research and data to drive decision-making, improve outcomes, and increase efficiency and effectiveness.

Mr. Jeffreys currently serves as the president of the Correctional Leaders Association, the director of the Nebraska Department of Correctional Services, and a board member of the International Corrections and Prisons Association.

Under his leadership, the Nebraska Department of Correctional Services has launched transformative reentry initiatives that engage an extensive base of public and private stakeholders to improve reentry success rates for individuals re-integrating into their communities after incarceration.

Prior to becoming director of NDCS in 2023, Mr. Jeffreys led transformational criminal justice reform as the director of the Illinois Department of Corrections (IDOC), where he created a dedicated reentry division, reduced the department’s restrictive housing population by 40 percent, and restructured and streamlined population reduction mechanisms that resulted in the state's lowest population level since 1991.

Mr. Jeffreys has also held several executive-level positions with the Ohio Department of Rehabilitation and Corrections (ODRC), including chief of staff, regional director, bureau chief of classification, and warden.

As a consultant and trainer for the U.S. Department of Justice, the Crime and Justice Institute, and The Moss Group, Mr. Jeffreys has provided policy, program development, and specialized training to aid agencies in meeting their targeted goals and advancing their mission.

Mr. Jeffreys holds a bachelor’s and a master’s degree in criminal justice with a concentration in Correctional Administration from Marshall University in Huntington, West Virginia.

Heidi Washington

Director of Michigan Department of Corrections, Board Member of ICPA, United States

Victor B. Dickson

President/ CEO, Safer Foundation, United States

Pam Thomure

Executive Director, Empowering Women Out of Prison, United States

Pam Parkman Thomure currently serves as the Executive Director of Empowering Women Out of Prison. Pam grew up in West Texas where she learned the value of servant leadership from her parents who operated a home for thousands of wayward girls. She has over 35 years as a nonprofit leader with a history of creating excellence and profitability for a number of diverse organizations. In 2007 Pam took a break from the nonprofit industry and founded Southwest Senior Solutions, a business helping senior adults “right size” their life. She sold the company in 2015 and returned to the nonprofit sector she loves. She is a member of One Voice Central Texas. In 2022 Pam was awarded the prestigious State of Texas Governor’s Criminal Justice Program Award. In her spare time, she loves to travel and play golf with her husband Craig and be “Poppy” to seven grandchildren.