The OU College of Professional and Continuing Studies is known for graduating students of high caliber, and our alumni network is full of Sooners who have gone on to make a difference in their communities both at home and abroad. We are very proud to report that our current students are following in their footsteps by bringing home some pretty impressive titles of their own.
Jamie Faulkenberry, a criminal justice student pursuing her master’s degree with PACS, was named the Jail Administrator of the Year by the Oklahoma Sheriff’s Association this August. The award recognized her outstanding contributions and performance above and beyond the call of duty.
Sequoyah County Sheriff Larry Lane nominated Faulkenberry for the award, praising her for her part in developing a new booking station and improvements to the inmate commissary system in the Sequoyah County Jail in Sallisaw, Oklahoma. The upgrades provided a more secure environment for booking officers, improved efficiency, and increased revenue by eliminating the need for outside vendor services.
“I am honored for the recognition by Sequoyah County Sheriff Larry Lane and the prestigious Oklahoma Sheriff’s Association, and I hope I represent the esteem of this award with the integrity it deserves.”
“Jamie has been a huge help to me utilizing her lengthy experience in dealing with employee issues as well as legal matters in the jail,” Lane said.
Faulkenberry has worked with the Sequoyah County Jail for 11 years, where she has served as jail administrator since 2009. Because the jail is a small facility, her responsibilities there are diverse. Her duties include payroll and accounting, employee training and development, managing contract services, researching statutes and legislation, ensuring regulatory compliance, and more.
“The coursework from the graduate studies I have received in Criminal Justice from OU has been a tremendous advantage for me at my job,” she said. “Oftentimes, the coursework directly relates with struggles I see on a day-to-day basis that deal with inmates, the effects of incarceration, effective policy implementation, incarcerating the mentally ill, recidivism and overcrowding. The education I have received has helped me by enhancing the strategic planning and critical thinking skills that I believe are essential for administrative tasks, such as drafting new policies and problem-solving in corrections.
“I am honored for the recognition by Sequoyah County Sheriff Larry Lane and the prestigious Oklahoma Sheriff’s Association, and I hope I represent the esteem of this award with the integrity it deserves.”
