Approved August 16, 2023

NAPE Constitution

ARTICLE I: OFFICIAL TITLE AND ORGANIZATIONAL STATUS

Section 1: The official name of this organization shall be the NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF PROBATION EXECUTIVES and shall be referred to hereinafter as “NAPE.”

Section 2: This organization shall reflect all executive areas in the field of probation, parole and pretrial services hereinafter referred to as Community Corrections.

Section 3: NAPE shall be incorporated as a non-profit organization under state and federal laws.

Section 4: The duration of NAPE shall be perpetual.

ARTICLE II: GOALS AND FUNCTIONS

The goals and functions of NAPE are as follows:

1. To promote, support, and advance community supervision operations by expanding executives’ knowledge of evidence-based and best practices in leading such organizations.
2. To increase public awareness and support of community supervision as an important role in the justice system.
3. To advance the development of innovative practices, reform measures, research opportunities and program evaluations to reduce recidivism, enhance equity and fairness and support community well-being.
4. To encourage membership of community supervision executives in all areas of supervision and juvenile justice.

ARTICLE III: CONSTITUTIONAL AMENDMENTS

Any proposed change to the constitution may be recommended to the Executive Committee by any three (3) active members in good standing of this association.

The Executive Committee shall review the proposed change to the amendment at their next scheduled meeting. They shall present both the recommended change and their findings to support or not support the change to the Board of Directors in a timely manner. If the Board of Directors votes in favor of the change, it shall be presented to all active members in good standing for an electronic vote. If the general membership favors the change, it shall be effective 30 days from the voting deadline.

The Executive Director shall notify the members of the result of said vote.

This Constitution was approved by the membership on: August 16, 2023.

Revised November 20, 2023

NAPE By-Laws

ARTICLE I: MEMBERSHIP LEVELS AND DUES

Section 1: Membership Levels

• Individual: Individual members shall be those individuals employed in an executive level within a community correction agency.
• Agency: Agency members shall be from a community supervision department. The Chief Executive Officer of the organization shall automatically be considered an individual member of NAPE and allowed one vote. The Chief Executive Officer may designate up to four administrative staff for a total of five to be represented in the Agency membership.
• Corporate: Corporate members shall be business entities or corporations who work in the field of community supervision. Corporate members shall not have voting rights and cannot hold Board positions.
• Honorary: Honorary memberships may be bestowed onto a member by two-thirds of the Board of Directors as special recognition for outstanding contribution to the field of community supervision or long-term service to NAPE. They will not be required to pay dues.
• Retired: Retired members shall be those individuals who retire in good standing from a community correction executive capacity.

Section 2: The dues required for membership shall be reviewed at the annual meeting and voted on by the Board of Directors. Membership shall be for one year from date member’s application is accepted and dues paid.

Section 3: The following members in good standing shall have voting privileges:

• Individual
• Agency (the chief executive officer of an organizational member)
• Retired

ARTICLE II: EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE

Section 1: The Executive Committee of this Association shall be the President, Vice-President, Secretary, Treasurer, and immediate Past-President. It is intended that the board members reflect as broad a geographical representation of the nation as is possible.

Section 2: The Executive Committee shall be empowered to administer the duties of NAPE. It shall be bound by and shall carry out the principles and policies established by the Board of Directors. Three or more Executive Committee members shall be considered a quorum for the purpose of making decisions.

Section 3: President Duties: The President shall preside over all meetings of the Board of Directors and Executive Committee. Following consultation with the Board of Directors, the President shall appoint a chair over all committees and shall fill any vacancies occurring during the terms of office of the chairs of such committees. The President shall be a member ex-officio of all committees with the exception of the Nominations and Election Committee.

Section 4: Vice-President Duties: The Vice-President shall, when directed by the President or in the absence of the President, preside at meetings of the Association, the Board of Directors, and Executive Committee. If the President is unable to perform his/her duties, the Vice-President shall take on this responsibility.

Section 5: Secretary Duties: The Secretary shall be responsible for keeping the minutes of meetings, completing correspondence as directed by the President and notifying the Board written requests for special Board of Director meetings.

Section 6: Treasurer Duties: The Treasurer, in consultation with the Executive Director, will present the Association’s annual budget for Board approval. It will be the responsibility of the Treasurer to review the financial records of the Association and report to the Board of Directors annually.

Section 7: The Board of Directors may require any officer of this Association to perform additional duties and functions. Each officer shall at the expiration or termination of his/her term of office deliver to his/her successor in office all Association records and properties in his/her possession.

Section 8: Any elected officer of the Association may be removed from office for cause by the Board of Directors. The Board of Directors shall present to an officer under consideration for removal a written statement of the alleged reasons for removal. This member shall be allowed thirty (30) days to request a hearing. If so requested, the member may respond personally and/or in writing to any allegation and said response shall be considered by the Board of Directors before action is taken. All decisions by the Board shall be final. The Secretary shall provide the decision in writing to the member.

Section 9: If necessary, the Executive Committee may act without an official meeting by electronic means with documentation of said action recorded at the next official meeting.

Section 10: Each member of the Executive Committee shall have one vote.

Section 11: Proxy votes are not allowed.

Section 12: Virtual meetings are allowed to conduct the business of the association.

ARTICLE III: GOVERNANCE

Section 1: The Association shall be national in scope but will emphasize regionalization. The regions of the Association will be as follows:

• New England
  Maine, New Hampshire, Vermont, Massachusetts, Rhode Island, and Connecticut.
• Mid-Atlantic
  Washington, D.C., Maryland, Delaware, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, and New York.
• Southern
  Texas, Oklahoma, Arkansas, Louisiana, Tennessee, Alabama, Mississippi, Florida, South Carolina, North Carolina, Georgia, Virginia, and West Virginia.
• Central
  North Dakota, South Dakota, Minnesota, Wisconsin, Michigan, Nebraska, Iowa, Kansas, Missouri, Illinois, Indiana, Ohio, and Kentucky.
• Western
  Washington, Montana, Oregon, Idaho, Wyoming, California, Nevada, Utah, Colorado, Arizona, New Mexico, Alaska, and Hawaii.

Section 2: The Association shall have two at-large representatives on the Board of Directors. They shall be recruited to represent as many as possible, different regions of the Country not currently in office as well as the respected fields of community supervision.

Section 3: This Association shall be governed by the following bodies:

• The membership of the Association
• The Board of Directors
• The Executive Committee

ARTICLE IV: BOARD OF DIRECTORS

Section 1: The Board of Directors shall consist of the President, Vice-President, Secretary, Treasurer, the immediate Past-President, five regional members and two representatives at large. The Board of Directors shall be responsible for carrying out the purposes and the objectives of the Association.

Section 2: There shall be, at a minimum, quarterly meetings of the Board of Directors. The President shall determine the date, time and location of said meetings. A written request made to the Secretary by at least five (5) members of the Board shall activate a Board meeting.

Section 3: The Executive Director shall be a full or part-time employee of the Association providing secretariat services.

Under the general directions of the Board of Directors and under the specific direction of the President and the Executive Committee, the Executive Director shall:

• Manage the Association’s business affairs
• Assist in the formulation of policies
• Prepare the annual budget in consultation with the Treasurer for approval by the Board of Directors
• Act as a liaison for constituents and perform other relevant duties as assigned
• Attend all meetings of the Executive Committee and Board of Directors

The Executive Director or the organization providing secretariat services to the Association shall be selected by majority vote of the Executive Committee and may be removed for reasonable cause by such majority vote.

If the Executive Committee does not select an Executive Director, or in the event of a vacancy, the President shall assign the duties of the Executive Director to the appropriate Association officers and committees.

ARTICLE V: COMMITTEES

There shall be one standing committee, Nominations and Election Committee. The President, after consultation from Board members, shall select a Chairperson for this committee. The term of Chair shall be for two years.

The President may create other committees as necessary to benefit the Association. The President shall appoint a chair of each committee following consultation with the Board.

ARTICLE VI: ANNUAL BUSINESS MEETING

Section 1: There shall be an Annual Business Meeting of the Association following the fiscal year (July 1 to June 30th).

Section 2: The time and place of the Annual Business Meeting shall be selected by the Board of Directors.

Section 3: At the Annual Business Meeting, the officers, committee chairs, and such others as may be directed by the President shall report to the membership. The Treasurer shall report on the Association’s financial and due status.

Section 4: The Executive Committee shall review and may vote to approve some or all of the Executive Director’s travel expenses related to conducting Association business.

Notice of the Annual Business Meeting shall be made to the general membership at least thirty (30) days before the meeting by the Executive Director.

The Annual Business Meeting shall be open to all members in good standing.

ARTICLE VII: TERM OF OFFICE

Section 1: The fiscal year of this Association shall be from July 1 through June 30, of each year.

Section 2: Each elected term in this Association shall be for two (2) years. Elected officials may not hold more than two consecutive terms in the same office. The President and Vice-President terms shall be for one term (2 years) and cannot be elected to these positions again once their term has ended. Presidential appointments to vacancies are excluded.

Section 3: Terms shall take effect July first of the year they were elected.

Section 4: If an elected person leaves their position, the President, after consultation from the Board, shall select a member in good standing to complete that term. The Executive Committee could consider leaving this position open if it is close to the election cycle.

ARTICLE VIII: NOMINATION AND ELECTION

Section 1: The following persons may be nominated for the office of President, Vice-President, Secretary, Treasurer, or board member:

• All Individual members in good standing.
• All Agency Member Executive Directors in good standing.

Section 2: The Chair of the Nominations Committee in consultation with the Executive Director shall send out a notice to all members, calling for nominations for all open positions on or about March 1st of the election year. The notice shall contain all open positions, description of each and the date to submit the nomination.

The Nominations Committee, in working with the Executive Director, shall verify candidates and have a complete list on or about April 15th of the election year. Each candidate should provide a short bio that will be shared with the membership of their qualifications and desire for said position. No candidate can run for more than one elected position.

The Nomination Committee, in working with the Executive Director, shall send out an electronic ballot to all voting members with a return date on or before May 1st of each election year. Each position shall have the option of a write in candidate.

The Nomination Committee Chair and Executive Director shall review and tally the ballots. The results of the election shall be given to the Executive Committee with the direction that the Executive Director notify the members of the results. All newly elected board members shall take office on July 1st of the election year.

ARTICLE IX: DISSOLUTION OF ASSOCIATION

In the event the Association shall cease to exist, for whatever reason, any funds it may retain following the payment of all valid financial obligations it may have incurred, shall be donated to a nonprofit organization agreed upon by the Executive Committee with a similar mission.

ARTICLE X: AMENDMENT

An Amendment to the by-laws may be proposed by the Executive Committee, Board of Directors, or by a request of three (3) voting members. The request shall include the article, requested change and reason for the change. The Executive Committee shall review the request and if it is determined the change is needed, it will be presented to the Board of Directors for a vote. This action does not require a full membership vote. If passed it shall take effect in 30 days. The Executive Director shall inform the membership.

Revised: November 20, 2023