Meet the Founder and Owner of SMGiddings LLC

Susan M. Giddings, PhD, served with the Federal Bureau of Prisons for 33 years prior to her retirement in 2024. She began her career in 1991 as a Correctional Officer and promoted through the ranks to Case Manager, Case Management Coordinator, Mid-Atlantic Regional Sr. Correctional Programs Specialist, and finally to Unit Management Section Chief, Correctional Programs Branch in Washington, DC, where she directed the Correctional Systems and Victim Witness Program units, as well as serving as one of the co-architects for the First Step Act and Federal Time Credits implementation.

Ms. Giddings earned her Bachelor of Science from the University of Cincinnati, majoring in Criminal Justice Corrections, a Master of Criminal Justice in Correctional Administration from the University of South Carolina, and a PhD in Business Administration with a specialization in Criminal Justice from Northcentral University.

Ms. Giddings’ expertise includes offender classification; case management practices, emergency response management; security operations, policy management; design/facilitation of adult professional development training program, strategic planning, continuous improvement management, and compliance auditing.

Nearly half of the police departments in the United States have less than 10 police officers. After adding in civilian staff, the number increases to about 15 employees.

More than half the sheriff departments in the United States have less than 25 deputies. After adding in civilian staff, the number increases to about 50 employees.

Most state DOCs have less than 10,000 employees with the median number between 1,000 - 3,000. However, the number of staff working in an actual prison setting is much lower.

Smaller law enforcement and correctional organizations do not have the same financial means to take advantage of consulting and training resources available compared to larger organizations or the private sector.

That's why I founded SMGiddings LLC - to bridge the gap and be a resource for the thousands of smaller agencies nationwide. Our team uses proven methods to identify value-added processes, eliminate waste, and develop strategies for continuous improvement for both institutions and community programs and processes. Our team doesn't just talk the talk, we walk the walk. We use continuous improvement strategies in our operation to identify and provide the best value-added services for your organization.

The Numbers Tell the Story

What is the Story?

Our Assessment Process

We recognize one size does not fit all. We tailor our assessments to meet your organization's needs. This means only paying for what you need.

We control cost by minimizing travel costs related to onsite visits. With our advance activities such as document reviews, meetings, and interviews, we can reduce our travel by 15 - 40% or more, depending on the location and review complexity. Those savings are passed directly onto your organization.

Our training programs have been designed to function as standalone programs, with individual classes or hands-on workshops, or in conjunction with assessments.

We offer in-person, virtual, and hybrid training programs, as well as customized bundles to better meet your needs and in do so, we are able to provide high quality training at an affordable price.

Our Training Programs