At LEOAC, we believe it is important for donors and recipients to know the background of our team so you know a little about us.  Links to our biographies are located on the right.

Carl ToersBijns, Sr. Advisor

Carl R. ToersBijns is the author of the book Wasted Honor written in 2009 but not published until 2010. This book is an abridged reflection of his life and his experiences as a soldier, correctional officer and a deputy warden in New Mexico and Arizona correctional systems. . Carl is considered by many an expert in the field of prison security systems and has been involved in the design of many pilot programs related to mental health treatment, security threat groups, suicide prevention, and maximum custody operational plans. His visionary and extraordinary insight of prison operations and its challenges allows him to be instrumental in providing top-security prison related recommendations and consulting strategies that are essential to provide a safe and secure environment for the public, the staff and the inmates. "My prison philosophy is all about the safety of the public, staff and inmates," Carl said. "I believe my strongest quality is that I create strategies that are practical, functional and cost effective."

Wasted Honor 2 Underground Power, released upon his retirement in 2010, is a realistic and honest arrangement of how some of our prison systems work and he is not afraid to push the envelope of being controversial on matters that are very political and sometimes embarrassing to those in power. Carl said, "to tell the truth in corrections that is rarely shared with others outside these prisons as the code of silence prevents others to talk about such things due to the political ramifications involved and the power structure they work for inside these prison walls."

His new book is a combination of personal experiences and actual critical incidents he was either involved in directly or served as an advisory capacity to resolve those matters at hand and doing damage control so the opportunities for inmates to escape, commit violent crimes towards staff or other inmates are minimized and staff are safe in their work environment. His designs and strategy plans are historic in part due to the successful gang step down program at the Supermax in Arizona, the implementation of a realistic and practical mental health treatment center in New Mexico and other internal strategies to supervise inmates more effectively and safely so injuries to staff are reduced and the public is safe due to the practical containment of violent offenders plotting or planning a prison escape into the community and potentially harm innocent victims while on the run. It was his unbridled creativity, vision, experience and knowledge that led to the conception of many prison programs successful today. As a graduate from the school of hard knocks Carl has decided to share his story with his readers sharing the facts he learned from some of the best corrections professionals in the business. Like a true professional, he would not settle for anything less than perfection in his designs, strategies or decisions. Through many long, arduous hours of enduring this political environment, he retired with a polished shield mounted inside a frame of honor presented to him by those who matter the most in this business, his staff.

Carl invites you to read his first book Wasted Honor to grasp the basic events, the emotions and the realities faced working inside a prison where the events are horrific but real and this book where he elaborates with the political angle on how these events are managed and how corrections officials endure the constant pressure of serving at the pleasure of the director with dire consequences of being dismissed if not politically correct or deemed unfavorable regardless of their professional ability or qualifications. Also a contributor for Yahoo Associated Content he has published well over 200 articles and has been reviewed for his work by over 13,000 readers since he started this part time hobby to write short stories and articles related to his life experiences, Arizona politics, prison events and national current events or news to express his own opinion and add facts to those matters at hand.

Since his retirement in April 2010, Carl has been performing the role of an activist in the area of public employee assistance regarding disciplinary, grievances, work performance evaluations and other employee support roles as a managing partner with the Thunder Rolls Inc. non-profit group that supports state correctional officers and employees.

Carl's experience consists of spending two years as a combat medic in Vietnam during the years of 1967 to 1969. He earned the Combat Medic Badge while engaged with the Americal Infantry Division in the I Corps region near the DMZ, Da Nang and Chu Lai areas. As a soldier, Carl earned an Honorable Discharge and received the National Defense Medal, Vietnam Campaign Medal, Vietnam Service Medal, Vietnam Cross of Gallantry Medal with Palm Unit Citation,

Reviewing his professional career as a correctional employee, he started with the New Mexico Department of Corrections in the year 1985. His experience working inside the New Mexico prisons spanned from 1985 through 2005 when he re-located to Arizona to go work inside the Arizona prisons from May 2005 through April, 2010. Working five years inside the Arizona prisons, Carl went through the ranks of Associate Deputy Warden grade 21 to the position of Deputy Warden of Operations grade 24. Retiring as a deputy warden of operations, the position that is considered to be the right hand of the complex warden, his administrative skills consisted of strong knowledge and abilities to manage investigations, report writing, interviews and interrogations, Internal Affairs and employee misconduct reviews. Loss control assessments. While in New Mexico he was appointed as the Chief of the Basic Training Section at the New Mexico Training Academy in Santa FE where he performed select duties as a staff development specialist that was in charge of developing lesson plans, certified firearms instructor, training for staff instructor training etc.

Carl held positions of a Correctional Officer I, II, III [Captain] Chief of Security Mental Health Treatment Center, Program Director, Associate Warden, Deputy Warden of Administration & Operations. He served as the Interim K 9 director at the Santa Fe penitentiary and performed and participated in the Tri-County drug task force strikes in Santa Fe and Rio Aribba Counties assisting the local police agencies and the drug enforcement team of Santa Fe County and Rio Aribba County in 1992 as well as manhunts for escapees and fugitives.

Carl brings his extensive correctional experience to the Law Enforcement Officers Advocates Council (LEOAC) where he has been appointed to the Law Enforcement Advisory Committee. As part of this committee, Carl will be assisting LEOs who face unjust prosecutions that are politically motivated. He will be a key spokesman on such issues and how they affect law enforcement officers who are employees and inmates.

Carl has an Associate Degree of Arts – Criminal Justice Administration w/ honors from the American InterContinental University and graduated with a 3.66 GPA in 2006. A native of Columbus Ohio, he graduated from the South High School, Class of 1966, and was a member of the school’s track and field team and varsity football.

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