Mission Statement
The purpose of CPOF is to operate and maintain a general fund for the perpetuation of the memory of those Correctional Peace Officers killed in the line of duty; to provide for their spouses, children or other beneficiaries; and to promote and project a positive image of the Corrections profession, both internally and to the general public.
Purpose and Programs
Familial Support & Assistance
To sustain, support and assist, per the dictates and within the legally designated bounds and parameters of The Correctional Peace Officers (CPO) Foundation by-laws, the surviving Spouse and/or Family of a Correctional Officer who is killed in the line of duty at the hands of an incarcerated felon or who dies as a direct result of an assault or altercation by or with such felon.
Catastrophic Assistance Program
To implement and expand the CPOF Catastrophic Assistance Program for correctional officers and their immediate families in times of need.
Encourage Sponsorship
To encourage sponsorship of The CPO Foundation among Corporate America’s businesses and industries that are interested in the welfare of Correctional Officers and Families, and in the strength and vitality of the Corrections profession.
Membership
To continue to increase Supporting Membership in The CPO Foundation.
Positive Image
To promote and project a positive image of the Correctional Officer to the general public and within the profession itself.
Community
To encourage communication, fellowship and connection among Correctional Officers and Families nationally and internationally.
Project 2000
To encourage attendance and participation in The CPO Foundation’s annual Project 2000 gathering for Correctional Professionals each June, which includes The CPO Foundation Annual National MemorialCeremony for fallen Corrections professionals.
Fulfill Our Motto
To be true and in all ways live up to The CPO Foundation’s motto: “Taking Care of Our Own”
Scholarship Program
CPOF offers scholarship opportunities to qualifying members and their relatives who are pursuing higher education.
Board Of Directors
History Of CPOF
In the early 1980s an idea was conceived. The idea centered around the problems encountered by many a correctional officer’s family that had fallen on hard times following the officer’s death in the line of duty. Friends would try to help, but too often their efforts, although sincerely well intentioned, were fragmented and of little significant effect in the long term.
Most large law enforcement groups already had benefit organizations available and systems in place to assist their members. In 1984 this was not true of the corrections profession. With over 350,000 correctional Officers nationwide at the time, the establishment and implementation of a supportive network among the corrections community was long overdue.
An organization was called for that not only would assist the correctional family in a time of need, but also would understand and attend to the unique and specific needs of a correctional family, as opposed to other law enforcement professions. Thus, the Correctional Peace Officers Foundation (CPOF) was born. Its two basic goals were and remain, first, to sustain, support and assist the survivors of a correctional officer killed in the line of duty; and, second, to promote and project a positive image of the correctional officer to the general public and within the profession itself. With steady growth over the years, the CPOF now also operates an extensive Catastrophic Assistance Program to assist correctional officers and/or their families in times of emergency, personal crisis or other critical need.
Membership in the CPOF, as for all charities, is strictly voluntary. As early as 1987, Supporting Members were able to make their monthly donations via the convenient option of automatic payroll deduction in three different states. By December 2004, the number of states and counties in which the CPOF had achieved payroll deduction status had grown to 28. Additionally, Federal Bureau of Prisons staff may designate the CPOF as a recipient of their charitable donations through direct deposit.
Supporting Members nationwide may also donate via authorized bank draft withdrawal or directly by check or credit card, although history has proven that payroll deduction is by far the simplest and most popular means by which the CPOF’s members prefer to donate. Therefore, increasing the number of states in which payroll deduction is available to Supporting Members is an ongoing project and pursuit of the CPOF.
In 1990, the Correctional Peace Officers Foundation began hosting an annual four-day gathering for correctional officers and families called “Project 2000.” The focal event of that gathering, and of every “Project 2000” gathering since, is a National Memorial Service to recognize those men and women in the corrections profession who lost their lives in the line of duty in the preceding year. Surviving family members are invited as honored guests of the CPOF, and honor guards from correctional facilities or departments across the nation participate in the Memorial Service. Seminars and support group sessions are also offered at “Project 2000,” as well as four hosted meal functions. The last of these is the Sunday Prayer Breakfast, that many have considered as one of the most memorable and special events of their lives.
Questions About CPOF?
The Correctional Peace Officers Foundation can be reached (800) 800-CPOF during normal business hours.
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