An Historical Perspective

AJA was formed in 1981 as a result of a merger between the National Jail Association and the National Jail Managers' Association.

That same year, AJA held its first Annual Training Conference & Jail Expo. The conference was held in Concord, California with 50 attendees and 6 exhibitors. Today, AJA's Annual Training Conference brings together more than 2,200 jail practitioners from around the country to train, network, and meet on issues facing our nation's jails. The Conference features a Jail Expo that offers numerous opportunities for attendees to view and learn from hundreds of vendors who provide products/services needed to run their jails.

Until 1986, the executive duties fell upon the President, the Chairman of the Board, and the Secretary-Treasurer. In 1986, AJA's first Executive Director, Francis R. "Dick" Ford, was hired to take charge of the association's executive duties. That same year, AJA established its headquarters in Hagerstown, Maryland, approximately 70 miles northwest of Washington D.C. The membership at that time numbered approximately 700.

In 1987, AJA began publishing its award-winning magazine, American Jails, which reaches government personnel at the local, state, and national levels and numerous individuals from the private sector. American Jails has the distinction of being the only magazine geared solely to jail issues with articles covering both the American and foreign jail scenes.

In 1988, AJA began introducing several in-service training tools designed to help agencies provide their own in-house training. These training tools include: the Jail Operations Bulletins (JOBs) which are designed to assist all jail personnel with the day-to-day issues that impact jail operations, the Jail Managers Bulletins (JMBs) which emphasize techniques and strategies to assist supervisors and managers, and a series of in-depth videos exploring the latest developments in corrections, the JOB Videos. AJA's Write-It-Right Quarterly (WIRQ) was introduced in 1996 to assist jail staff with their writing skills.

In 1989, AJA presented its first Product/Service/Resource Directory to the membership. The directory offers an extensive listing of hundreds of companies who provide products, services, and resources to jails.

In 1990, AJA began conducting training seminars nationwide. Today, AJA offers a training calendar of comprehensive training seminars specifically designed to meet the needs of jail personnel.

The following year, AJA introduced its first Who's Who in Jail Management jail directory. The Directory is a comprehensive listing of over 3,200 jails in the country. The directory offers the most current information available on local jails in the United States. This same year, AJA established its Code of Ethics for Jail Officers.

In 1992, Stephen J. Ingley took over the helm at AJA by becoming the association's second Executive Director.

In 1996, AJA established its web site. By this time the membership had grown to 4,500+.

In 1997, AJA launched its Certified Jail Manager (CJM) program. This program focuses specifically on the individual jail manager and is an indication of his/her competency in this specialized field. Jail managers who become CJMs are distinguished as individuals who have reached one of the highest levels of achievements in their field. The first Certified Jail Manager examination was held in October of that year. In May of 2005, the first examination for the Certified Jail Officer (CJO) program was held.

In the spring of 2002, AJA broke ground on its own 7,500 sq. ft. office building in Hagerstown, Maryland. AJA also joined forces with Fort Hays State University in Kansas to offer members affordable online distance education undergraduate degree programs, graduate programs, and certificate options in the field of Justice Studies and Security Management.

In 2006, AJA's third Executive Director, Gwyn Smith-Ingley, came aboard. That same year the AJA Board adopted a revised strategic plan and rated enhancing its legislative program, expanding member services and developing a National Jail Academy among its top priorities for the coming years..

Today, the association has 23 officers and members of the Board of Directors, 13.5 full-time equivalent staff, a membership exceeding 4,000, 336 Certified Jail Managers, and 83 Certified Jail Officers.