Ricky Eckloff of Marquette is the 1988 Corrections Officer of the Year for the Michigan Department of Corrections.

His selection was announced today by State Corrections Director Robert Brown, Jr.

"Mr. Eckloff's work at Marquette Branch Prison has been outstanding. Warden Theodore Keohler tells me Mr. Eckloff 'has demonstrated his ability to maintain a quality performance in unusually stressful situations. His initiative, adaptability and professional judgment are beyond reproach.'"

This is the fourth year the department has paid tribute to special officers, Brown said. "It's particularly important to honor these professionals for the excellent jobs they do and to let the public know about the caliber of the men and women we have working in our state prisons and halfway houses," he said.

This years recipient of the award will attend the 118th congress of the American Correctional Association in Denver, Colorado as a quest of the Department.

Runners up were: William A. Jones of the Riverside Correctional Facility in Ionia; Dennis Parker of the Central Complex of the State Prison on Southern Michigan (SPSM) near Jackson; William Irvin of the South Complex of SPSM; and Lawrence Lee Avery of Camp Tuscola near Caro. They and Eckloff will be given a free trip to the annual conference of the Michigan Corrections Association in Shanty Creek this fall.

Eckloff, 36, has been employed with the Department and Marquette Branch Prison since 1977. He holds a bachelor's degree from Northern Michigan University which he earned in 1975.

On two occasions he has assisted with the recovery of persons attempting to escape custody - one in 1983 and again in 1986. In the 1983 incident, Eckloff was able to physically grab the escaping prisoner during transportation to a court appearance while away from the prison.

Eckloff has been a weapons instructor at the prison and currently is a yard officer there.

He earned an Eagle Scout award in 1968 and is presently a member of the National Rifle Association.

Among the criteria used to determine the winner: job performance, overall contribution to the improvement of the work station or department, exemplary activities, personal characteristics, innovative efforts to improve the job and community activities.

Selection of the winner and runners up was made by a four-person committee made up of: Dan Bolden, Deputy Director in charge of the Bureau of Correctional Facilities; Carol Frederick, liaison with the Michigan Corrections Officers Training Council and employee of the Department's Training Section; Jane Penton White, Director of the Criminal Justice and Law Center at Lansing Community College and member of the Michigan Corrections Officers' Training Council; and David O. Cook, chair of the Michigan Corrections Officers' Training Council and treasurer of the Michigan Corrections Organization.