Andre ‘Moses’ Stancil began his life of service the moment he left high school. After graduating, he joined the military and spent the next eight years in the United States Army.
“When I got out of the military, I started working for the Colorado Department of Corrections as an officer, and I was there for about 17 months,” he recalls.
Then some friends from the military told him about another potential job lead, this time in the federal prison system, which had 122 institutions across the United States, offering more opportunities for promotion and travel. This appealed to Stancil, who joined the system for the next 20 years, working as a warden of three different institutions.
“I started a leadership class and my whole focus was to show that it’s more about being a leader than it is about being a prison leader.”
After two decades serving his community, and having traveled across the country, he bought a recreational vehicle and prepared to retire.
“I was going to be a professional bum,” he says with a laugh. “There were only five states I hadn’t been to, so my goal was to knock off those five states.”
But life took a different direction when he happened to bump into a former prison colleague, who recommended a job to Stancil back at the Colorado Department of Corrections. On a whim, Stancil decided to apply, knowing he could always fall back on his retirement plan if he didn’t get the job.
“Well, I got the job,” he says. “I tell people it was almost like there was a higher power that put me in this position.”
A new approach
Stancil’s passion for the field of corrections eventually led him to his current position of Executive Director. With his wealth of experience, he has seen a lot of change in the field, most of it positive.
“The mission now is truly helping people get the resources they need to better themselves,” he explains. “It was once believed that a job was the most important determinant of recidivism. But if it was only about money, why do we have billionaires in prison?”
Instead, Stancil notes, the focus has shifted to a more holistic approach. “It’s not just about giving someone a job when they get out,” he says. “It’s about giving them skills, giving them credentials behind those skills.”
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To do this, the Colorado Department of Corrections has trialed programs aimed at helping prison inmates to reintegrate into the community; gain valuable life and work skills; improve their mental health; and earn an income and improve their financial literacy upon their release.
“We’re bringing outside employers into the facility to hire inmates as workers,” Stancil explains. “But it also is going to require the employer to pay the inmates a minimum wage. I think that improves their possibility of successful reentry and not returning.”
But he admits that even though the prison system’s mission has changed, there is no foolproof way to reduce recidivism to zero.
“No matter how many skills you give someone, it is still up to that individual to utilize those skills and not return to prison,” he acknowledges.
Transferable leadership skills
It might appear that running a prison has little in common with running a boardroom, but Stancil insists that the skills required are transferable.
“In one of my adventures as a warden, I started a leadership class and my whole focus was to show that it’s more about being a leader than it is about being a prison leader,” he reveals.
“Because the traits and the skill sets that you need to lead, it really doesn’t matter where you’re leading. The true focus should always be the same.”
“My goal is to always leave something better than I found it.”
Maintaining staffing levels has been a test of these skills. For a 24/7 operation like a prison, it presents unique challenges.
“I can’t just turn the lights off at 10 o’clock and say, ‘Hey, all right guys, you manage yourselves and we’ll be back tomorrow at six,’” Stancil explains. “We always have to have someone on post.”
Solutions exist in communicating with wardens to learn what they need and being as transparent as possible. Lowering the hiring age to 18 has also had positive results. Overall, he values trust in his staff – going so far as to give out his state cell phone number when visiting prisons, and telling employees they can reach out if need be.
“People ask me, ‘What do you want your legacy to be?’” Stancil concludes. “I don’t really look at it that way. My goal is to always leave something better than I found it.”
