We’re proud to include Maureen Baird among our subject-matter experts.
She currently serves our team as a consultant, specializing in Federal Corrections.
On a personal note, Maureen has a connection to our co-founders, Michael and Carole Santos. We’ll write the backstory here.
By authoring books, according to administrators, Michael violated the federal prison’s disciplinary code when he was confined at the Lompoc camp. The administrators charged him with an infraction and locked him in segregation. Since the officers locked him in segregation without warning, Michael did not have an opportunity to gather his belongings. Officers at the camp packed his personal belongings. Once the officers brought Michael’s personal belongings to the segregated housing unit, they did an inventory with him. Michael signed the inventory sheet, and the officers signed the inventory sheet.
Michael then instructed Carole on steps she could take to refute the disciplinary charge.
Carole connected with Maureen Baird, who then held an executive post at the Bureau of Prisons Western Regional Office. Carole passed along information that Michael provided. Maureen intervened. As a result, Michael prevailed in his quest for administrative relief. The process took 30 days to resolve, and Michael remained in the Segregated Housing Unit during those 30 days. He never had access to his personal property.
Officers in the Lompoc Camp were not happy when they learned that Michael prevailed on the disciplinary infraction. They responded by fabricating a new charge, alleging that they had found a weapon in Michael’s personal belongings. Yet more than 30 days had passed since the officers had packed his personal belongings.
Michael prepared the documents to refute the charge. And Carole served as an intermediary with Maureen. As a result of her help, the BOP exonerated Michael completely. And Maureen authorized Michael’s transfer to the camp in Taft, California.
Because of that personal experience, we highly endorse Maureen as a subject-matter expert.
Her credentials and expertise follow:
She has provided Expert Witness testimony in United States District Courts, at Sentencing Hearings for defendants who face a sentence of incarceration in the Federal System. Maureen works with us as part of our team, consulting on all aspects of the Federal Prison System.
She has prepared numerous Declarations for Attorneys within the U.S., and for Barristers/Solicitors in the United Kingdom, working on extradition cases. Maureen has also provided Expert Testimony at Extradition Hearings in the Westminster Magistrates’ Court in the UK regarding conditions of confinement in the Bureau of Prisons. Her career in Adult Male/Female Corrections spanned 28 years with the Bureau of Prisons in various capacities, with her final positions as Warden and Senior Executive Service Warden at three Federal Prisons that encompassed a variety of missions and programs.
Maureen is an experienced Executive in Correctional Management with a demonstrated history of working in the law enforcement industry.
Her experience in Federal Corrections began in 1989 as a case manager with the Department of Justice, Federal Bureau of Prisons. Throughout her 28 years with the Agency, she continued to acquire positions of increasing responsibility.
In 2009, leaders appointed Maureen to the position of Warden at the Federal Correctional Institution, Danbury, Connecticut. They later promoted her to serve as Warden at the Metropolitan Correctional Center in New York City.
While serving as Warden of MCC New York, authorities appointed her to Senior Executive Staff by the United States Attorney General. Within two years, she transferred to a position of greater responsibility as the Warden of the United States Penitentiary in Marion, Illinois.
As warden, Maureen was responsible for the leadership and direction of 300 to 350 staff members and approximately 1200 to 1500 inmates. During her tenure as warden for seven years, she was responsible for staff development and various specialized inmate housing units, including a high security management unit which mainly housed international terrorists who were assigned maximum custody.
Maureen led staff through a mission change at the Federal Prison in Danbury, where the BOP housed female offenders for several years, then transitioned to male offenders in 2013.
Maureen was also a member of the Joint Terrorist Task Force, and a member of various other federal, state, and local groups. Maureen has been very active with joint training that involved local, state, and federal law enforcement entities. For the last several years, Maureen has held Top Secret Clearance, only issued to a small percentage of Wardens and Executive Staff.
Professional Experience
Warden Dec 2015 – Oct 2016
United States Penitentiary – Marion, IL
- Was CEO of an institution which housed 1500 medium/high security male offenders
- Supervised 350 staff members and a 40-million-dollar budget
- Oversaw the institution and staffing, inmate programs, institution security, staff training, staff and inmate investigations and discipline, policy and procedural changes, community relations, regular training on emergency preparedness
- Provided training to all institution staff during an annual refresher training for six to eight weeks
- Provided training to new hires regarding procedures, rules, and regulations, ethics and code of conduct requirements and both basic and advanced correctional duties
Warden Jun 2014 – Dec 2015
Metropolitan Correctional Center – New York City, NY
- Was CEO of a pre-trial federal prison which employed 350 staff and housed 700 all security level, pre-trial inmates and 150 low security sentenced offenders
- Performed all duties indicated above as warden at USP Marion, Illinois
Warden Oct 2009 – Jun 2014
Federal Correctional Institution – Danbury, CT
- Was CEO of an institution which employed 250 staff and housed 1200 female offenders
- Performed all duties indicated above as warden at USP Marion, Illinois, with an added emphasis on training geared toward female offenders
Correctional Institution Administrator/Associate Warden Aug 2007 – Oct 2009
Metropolitan Detention Center – San Diego, CA
- Provided direction and leadership to 230 employees
- Assisted in the management of a 27 million dollar budget
- Oversaw high security/maximum custody pre-trial inmates and 200 low security sentenced inmates
- Ensured all mandatory internal and external security requirements were maintained and properly implemented
- Served on a forward-thinking workgroup focusing solely on future training trends
- Provided training on a regular basis to institution staff as well as other government agency staff
- Implemented several new proactive security measures which resulted in a more open form of communication between staff and inmates, thus allowing staff to find more contraband and providing a safer environment for staff and inmates
- Worked with union representatives to assist in resolving employee concerns as the Chairperson of the Labor Management Relations Board
Regional Correctional Programs Administrator Feb 2005 – Aug 2007
Bureau of Prisons, Western Regional Office – Dublin, CA
- Oversaw 22 federal prisons located in the Western Region of the United States
- Primarily focused on the development and training of correctional programs staff who were employed by the individual facilities
- Orchestrated on-site training at the institutions, ensured the staff were familiar with policy, provided guidance, and compiled a report following each training
- Assembled a training manual for all new case managers to assist them in their duties
- Conducted regional training with all case management coordinators from the 22 institutions on an annual basis
- Was appointed to various after-action committees to investigate serious incidents that occurred at the prisons within the region
- Acted in the position of Regional Director and Deputy Regional Director multiple times
- Participated in and coordinated several Institution Character Profiles to evaluate programs and review security procedures at various institutions. Recommendations were made with regards to enhancing security or reorganizing programs.
- Was involved in the activation of all aspects of newly constructed federal prisons within the Western Region
- Coordinated a four-week online training session for case management coordinators to provide information/training on their new responsibilities through the merging of the Inmate Systems Department falling under their purview
- Received the Supervisor of the Year award from the Regional Director in June 2006
Correctional Institution Administrator/Executive Assistant Aug 2000 – Feb 2005
Federal Correctional Institution – Schuylkill, PA
- Planned, supervised, and evaluated programs, training of new staff, and quarterly training of correctional officers
- Was the Chairperson for inmate’s initial classifications and program reviews
- Conducted ongoing training and guidance for mentors and proteges as the Mentoring Coordinator
Assistant Correctional Programs Administrator Apr 1997 – Aug 2000
Bureau of Prisons, Northeast Regional Office – Philadelphia, PA
- Committee Member
- Assisted in designing the current Security and Classification System utilized for classifying sentenced female offenders
- Performed extensive research which suggested a need for a separate classification system for male and female offenders
- The Bureau of Prisons compiled our findings and in a short time implemented the Committees’ suggestions and created a separate Classification System for female offenders, which is still being utilized to date
- Coordinated and conducted annual training programs for all case management coordinators throughout the 23 institutions that comprised the Northeast Region
- Submitted recommendations for policy changes which were adopted and implemented
- Conducted on-site staff assistance visits at various institutions to provide training to staff
- Participated in after-action reviews following significant incidents at institutions within the region
Case Management Coordinator Dec 1992 – Apr 1997
Federal Correctional Complex – Allenwood, PA
- Served as Victim Witness Coordinator, Central Inmate Monitoring Coordinator, Inmate Performance Pay Coordinator and Public Information Spokesperson for the institution
- Oversaw security with regards to review and approval of inmates designated to the institution
- Wrote lesson plans and provided on-the-job training for new case managers and new counselors
- Provided ongoing training to all case managers, counselors, unit secretaries, and correctional officers regarding correctional programs, procedures, and responsibilities
- Was responsible for quality control of all case management paperwork prior to submission to the warden for signature
Assistant Parole Liaison Administrator Oct 1991-Dec1992
Mid-Atlantic Regional Office – Annapolis Junction, MD
Duty Station – U.S. Parole Commission – Chevy Chase, MD
- Was responsible for Security Classifications and Designations of parole violators returning to federal prisons
Case Manager Mar 1989 – Oct 1991
Federal Correctional Institution – Danbury, CT
Federal Prison Camp – Nellis Air Force Base – Las Vegas, NV
- Oversaw programs related to the 150-200 inmates assigned to my caseload
- Provided training to new case managers
- Conducted inmate classification and program reviews
- Assisted inmates with their release planning
- Provided guidance to inmates
- Conducted security and shakedowns within the institution
- Regularly filled in for correctional officer posts
- Wrote all reports pertaining to inmates on my caseload
- Regulated institution security and housing
Education
| Western Connecticut State University – Danbury, CT Bachelor of Science in Justice and Law Administration, May 1988 Recipient of Justice and Law Administration Award of 1988 |
Activities
- Senior Executive Service Member
- Member of American Correctional Public Information Officer Association
- Member of Lion’s Club
- Member of Association of Women Executives in Corrections
- Instructor/Trainer
- Volunteer for the American Cancer Society
References
References will be provided upon request.
