John P. Rosa

Executive Assistant at Federal Bureau of Prisons (FCC Beaumont), United States Penitentiary, Beaumont, TX

Salutations to all! I am Dr. John P. Rosa, and I started my career with the Bureau of Prisons as a Correctional Officer in 2011. I currently Serve as the principal advisor to the Chief Executive Officer (Warden) on matters of policy, programs, and operations as well as work in conjunction with Associate Wardens to develop plans, policies, and programs for institution management.  I am a graduate of the Federal Law Enforcement Training Center (FLETC) in Glynco, GA, and the Management & Specialty Training Center (MSTC) in Aurora, CO. I am also an Arizona State University Alumni (Go Sun Devils!).      

• I decided to enter the field of Corrections and make it my career because: I wanted a challenge that allowed change in a field that was overlooked.  Corrections provided that.  I wanted to help, guide, and evoke change by developing a path beneficial to inmates during the transition period back into society with the dual purpose of preventing recidivism.  Corrections, in hindsight, is guidance and guidance evokes change.  Helping the incarcerated one individual at a time is a job worth pursuing when communication and leadership are your passion.
• I felt it was important to serve on the Correctional Science Advisory Board because: I genuinely believe that knowledge is power.  Providing guidance and insight on what correctional agencies do on a consistent basis helps prepare students for the work force.  They gain a better understanding of policies and procedures that are associated with job criteria.  Education is a pivotal part of gaining first line guidance from subject matter experts within the agencies.  
• The most unusual job I’ve ever had was: Working detainee operations in Guantanamo Bay, Cuba. 
• The hardest thing I’ve ever done is: Writing a dissertation addressing language inconsistency in a federal prison to mitigate potential conflicts amongst monolingual inmates and correctional staff.  This took a total of fifteen months to complete.
• My favorite way to relax is: Going to the gym and getting in a good workout.
• My favorite meal is: I am Puerto Rican.  My dish of choice is yellow rice cooked together with green pigeon peas and ham, with a side of steak, or how we like to say in Spanish, “arroz amarillo con gondules verdes, jamón, y bistec”
• One item from my personal “bucket list” is: To skydive
• The three people, living or deceased, I’d invite to dinner are: Franklin D. Roosevelt, Luis Muñoz Marín, and Casilda Negron (my mother)
• You’d be surprised to learn that: I had only three jobs in my life: food server in a hospital cafeteria (3 years), military (14 years), and the BOP (10 years) 
• I am most proud of: Being a father and completing my doctorate degree.  
• My motto is: “Be vigilant, be transparent, but most importantly, be respectful.”  A lot can be accomplished with RESPECT.     
• If there is one piece of advice I would like to give to anyone considering Corrections as a career, it would be: Do your due diligence, know what you are getting yourself into, and know that this job, though rewarding, is dangerous.  Overall, passion for the job is the foundation, the catalyst of Corrections employment.