State Honors SIUE’s Jewell with Exemplary Service Award
Southern Illinois University Edwardsville’s Jeremy Jewell, PhD, professor in the Department of Psychology, has received the Illinois Probation and Court Services Association’s (IPCSA) 2020 Exemplary Service Award. The award honors Jewell’s established and dedicated partnership in developing evidence-based practices with the Madison County Probation and Court Services Department.
IPCSA’s Exemplary Service Award is a statewide award presented annually to one deserving individual who has served to further probation and court services through their dedication and commitment within the private sector. The award was presented to Jewell during IPCSA’s Annual Fall Conference, held virtually over Zoom.
For more than 17 years, Jewell has served Madison County, offering beneficial services such as program development, program evaluation, and staff training. Through this long-standing partnership, Jewell has provided research-driven programs developed to help probation clients improve their anger management and compassion skills. His published analyses and outcomes have been shared by the Administrative Office of Illinois Courts and serve as resources for individuals and courts nationwide.
Upon receiving the award, Jewell expressed surprise and humility. “My collaboration with the Madison County Probation Department began almost 20 years ago and has been one of the highlights of my career,” he said. “I am fortunate to work with many wonderful professionals who are dedicated to reducing crime and providing treatment to court-involved individuals in our community.”
Madison County Juvenile Detention Center Program Coordinator Scott Elliff praised Jewell’s programs for providing rewarding educational experiences for area youth, center staff and SIUE undergraduate students.
“I nominated Dr. Jewell for this award, because much of the work people perform for the greater good of society often goes unnoticed or taken for granted,” Elliff said. “Dr. Jewell exemplifies altruism. He has been generous with his time and freely shares his expertise, academic knowledge, and experiential wisdom.”
Jewell’s research lab has developed two programs focused on improving coping skills in detained youth—the Relaxation Skills Violence Prevention program (RSVP) and the Compassion Approach to Learning Meditation (CALM). While utilizing the strengths of both programs, Jewell’s lab is currently piloting a third program that will focus on helping teens in detention learn new ways to cope with anger, stress and frustration.
“This award is a way to celebrate our thanks and appreciation for Dr. Jewell’s contributions to our programming efficacy, staff development, and ultimately, the populations we serve,” added Elliff. “I hope this award symbolizes a deeper respect for those like Dr. Jewell who want to help improve communities through a shared understanding of the value of our work.”
“Despite the difficulties presented by COVID-19, we have done our best to move forward with several initiatives to improve services to probation clients,” said Jewell. “We are fortunate to have a best-practice juvenile detention facility here in Madison County with great administrators. I know of no other detention facility in the state that provides so many needed services to its detainees.”
To learn more about Jewell’s research, visit probation.illinoiscourts.gov/data/Illinois-publications.
Photo: SIUE’s Jeremy Jewell, PhD, professor in the Department of Psychology, has received the Illinois Probation and Court Services Association’s (IPCSA) 2020 Exemplary Service Award.
