Nashville-Davidson County Sheriff Daron Hall was presented the American Correctional Association’s (ACA) E.R. Cass Award Tuesday night at the 148th Congress of Corrections in Minneapolis, Minn. It’s the first time a sheriff has ever earned such recognition and is ACA’s highest honor.

“I am truly humbled and grateful for being recognized by my peers and ACA’s leadership. For the past 30 years, my life has been about corrections – how to help people, put them on a path to success so we don’t see them institutionalized over and over,” Hall said. “As ACA president and an executive committee member for eight years, I was able to raise awareness of this issue, bring correctional jail standards to the forefront, and make changes on a national level to advance our profession. I deeply appreciate being acknowledged for my passion in improving corrections.”

The E.R. Cass Award was created in 1962 in honor of Edward R. Cass, who devoted more than 50 years of his life to corrections. Serving as ACA’s general secretary for 40 consecutive years, Cass was dedicated to the goals and growth of the association and to the field as a whole. His devotion to the corrections profession and service above and beyond the call of duty earned him the designation of ACA’s president emeritus. It is in this spirit and in recognition of his high ideals that ACA continues honoring corrections’ most dedicated professionals through its E.R. Cass Award.

According to ACA Executive Director Jim Gondles, winners must have made an outstanding contribution to the field over the course of his or her career, demonstrate community service both within corrections and beyond, as well as show deep concern for and actively participated in the profession while exemplifying ACA principles.

“Sheriff Daron Hall is the best example of community law enforcement I know. His leadership in American corrections and law enforcement is no better exemplified than in the fact that he’s served as national president of the largest and oldest correctional association in the world, the American Correctional Association, and will become national president of the National Sheriffs’ Association in two years. No other person has ever led both ACA and NSA,” Gondles said.

“Nashville-Davidson County is rightfully proud to have Daron Hall as their sheriff and a public servant.”