Russell E. Sanders began his extensive career at Florida Parishes Juvenile Detention Center on January 3, 1994 as a direct care officer and was among the first group of individuals employed by the facility. On January 18th, 1994, the center officially opened and accepted the first juvenile into custody.

Finding his niche working with troubled youth, Russell was quickly promoted up through the ranks. In 1995 he was appointed Assistant Shift Supervisor and then promoted again in 1996 to Shift Supervisor. In the following years, Russell was named employee of the quarter twice and received numerous commendations from both the Executive Director and the Florida Parishes Juvenile Justice Commission. In 2005, he was appointed Director of Operations and charged with the task of overseeing multiple facets of security operations and various departments within the organization. He directly supervises the Intake, and Security Department consisting of eight supervisors, and sixty one employees in all.

Additionally, he has served as the facility’s Site Coordinator in participation of membership within the Performance Based Standards Learning Institute (PBS) and managed data collection, facility improvement, and ensured compliance with all regulations. In August 2016, through his expertise and program oversight, the Center was awarded the Barbra Allen-Hagen Award; the highest level of achievement through the Performance Based Standards Accreditation. This was done by making consistent facility improvements, utilizing recorded data, in comparison to similar facilities throughout the United States.

Throughout his years of employment, Russell has received multiple certifications and memberships related to the field of juvenile justice and community leadership. Between 2002 and 2016, he received the TPSO Certification for Correctional Officers, Chemical Weapons Instructor Certification, attended the Dale Carnegie Leadership Training for Managers, Dale Carnegie Course in Effective Communication and Human Relations, and completed the Leadership Tangipahoa Program. As a longtime member of the Louisiana Juvenile Detention Association (LJDA), he was appointed to serve on the Executive Board in 2008, as well as its Juvenile Detention Standards Committee. This committee was instrumental in creating the first set of operational standards for the licensure of all juvenile detention centers within the State of Louisiana. He is currently serving on the LJDA Executive Board and previously served as Vice President and President. Russell also enjoys gardening and has overseen the facility vegetable garden for the past 20 years. This restorative justice project consists of vegetables grown by the residents and donated to the local food pantry regular basis.