Our Correctional Team

Brian Dawe 
Executive Director
Wyoming
Retired State Correctional Officer

 

     Brian Dawe has been in corrections for over 24 years. He served as a state Correctional Officer in Massachusetts from 1982 until 1998 when he took a position as the Executive Director for a national nonprofit organization. Brian received his Bachelors of Science Degree in Criminal Justice from the University of Massachusetts with a minor in Labor Studies. 

     He is considered to be one of the leading experts on private prisons in the nation. He has spoken before the Canadian Parliament in Toronto, Ontario, Canada, at the Minnesota School of Law and at Yale University in Connecticut on the topic. Brian was the co-founder of the Massachusetts Correctional Officers Federated Union where he served on the statewide Executive Board for nine years. He held the positions of Grievance Coordinator, Executive Secretary and Vice President.

     He is also a former partner in United Law Enforcement and has trained over 500 union stewards. He has been a featured speaker at rallies, protests and conventions throughout the country supporting correctional officers everywhere.

Henry J. Ruiz 
Communications Director
New Jersey  
County Correctional Sergeant

   Henry is currently a supervisor from the Morris County Correctional facility in New Jersey and started his 19^th year in Corrections. He rose through the ranks to Correctional Sergeant; supervising maximum and minimum security inmates, supervising and training subordinate staff and participating in various specialized teams which included Element Leader in the Emergency Response Team, Sheriff’s Emergency Response Team, and the Gang Intelligence Unit.

     Henry Ruiz held the position of 3^rd Vice-President with the New Jersey Policemen’s Benevolent Association, as well as chaired the Correction Officers’ Committee, Co-Chaired the New Delegate’s Committee, was a Legislative Committee member, Web Administrator, and Editor of “New Jersey’s Finest” the PBA newsletter.    

     At his facility he served as Local #298’s President for two terms, and State Delegate for four terms.  He also helped negotiate several lucrative contracts while on their negotiations team.

  Henry helped establish the National Association of Police Organization’s first corrections committee, where he served as their chairman for 2 years.

     In 1989 Henry graduated from the New Jersey Military Academy in Sea Girt, NJ were upon graduation was commissioned to 2^nd Lieutenant in the United States Army were he was received honorable discharge in 1995.

  He also has attended William Paterson University as a Computer Science major, and Raritan Valley Community College a Criminal Justice major.

Gary Harkins 
Research and Information Director
Oregon
Retired State Correctional Officer

 

     Gary retired from the Oregon State Penitentiary after a 25-year career in January of 2006. He rose through the ranks to Correctional Sergeant; supervising maximum-security inmates, supervising and training subordinate staff and participating in various special projects for the ODOC.

     Sergeant Harkins served 4 years on the Department of Public Safety Standards and Training (DPSST) Corrections Policy Committee representing both State and County non-management staff. The Committee generated corrections-related policy recommendations to the full DPSST Board. They also reviewed proposed certification revocations and made recommendations regarding a CO’s certification to the full DPSST Board.

     Gary also served for 6 years as President of the Association of Oregon Corrections Employees (AOCE), an independent union for corrections employees.  Prior to this, he was a Union Steward and a contract negotiator for the AOCE.

     In addition he held a 6-year term on the Greater Albany Public School Budget Committee. Gary was an 8 year representative to the Oregon Council of Police Associations and remains a general member.  He is a long standing member and supporter of the Correctional Peace Officer Foundation.

   Gary is also very well educated having earned college degrees in Machine Tool Technology, and Law Enforcement, and a Masters in Corrections and Business Administration. He currently owns and operates T.J. Consulting located in Albany, Oregon.