Corrections Community

DOJ Solicits Input on Proposed National Standards

dlh — Fri, 12 Mar 2010 15:55:00 GMT

On March 10, 3010 the Department of Justice issued an Advance Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (ANPRM) to solicit input on the Commission's proposed national standards and to receive information useful to the Department in publishing a final rule adopting standards to address prison rape as mandated by PREA. The ANPRM can be found in the Federal Register, Vol. 75, No. 46, page number 11077.

The Prison Rape Elimination Act (PREA) requires the Attorney General to promulgate regulations that adopt national standards for the detection, prevention, reduction, and punishment of prison rape. PREA established the National Prison Rape Elimination Commission (Commission) to conduct a legal and factual study of the penological, physical, mental, medical, socials, and economic impacts of prison rape and provide to the Attorney General and Secretary of Health and Human Services standards for the detection, prevention, reduction, and punishment of prison rape. The Commission published its recommended national standards on June 23, 2009.

Manage Aging and Geriatric Offenders—What You Need to Know!

Joshua Stengel — Wed, 10 Mar 2010 16:02:00 GMT

This was a 3-hour interactive broadcast on options and strategies for containing your current costs for managing aging prisoners. We provided information about programs and approaches that increase security and safety for this vulnerable population. Whether you are beginning to plan or are already working with fully stand-alone units, the information in this session will spark new ideas and show you how facilities across the nation are addressing this growing issue.

Contact our Help Desk if you would like to be placed on the waiting list for the DVD when it becomes available.

Indiana Department of Corrections Green Initiative to save $36 million over 10 years

Scott — Tue, 09 Mar 2010 15:34:00 GMT

"More and more, the Indiana Department of Correction (IDOC) has been taking steps to promote energy efficiency and save money. Today at a ribbon cutting ceremony, IDOC Commissioner Edwin G. Buss introduced another green initiative that will save the agency $36 million over ten years.

The ceremony at the Pendleton Correctional Facility highlighted the installation of a biomass boiler, which uses post-production scrap wood purchased from local Indiana businesses for fuel instead of natural gas. The boiler, installed as part of a State energy savings contract, replaces fossil fuel dependency with renewable and environmentally friendly resources."

Read the full press release here.

Interested in Building Your Middle Managers? Check out NIC's MDF Series!

Leslie LeMaster — Tue, 09 Mar 2010 15:29:00 GMT

What is MDF?

MDF is NIC's Management Development for the Future series, a dynamic, agency exclusive, individual and organizational development experience, which primarily targets the middle management tier of a correctional organization. It simultaneously engages all levels of agency leadership through internal action-based learning strategies at the individual, team and agency levels.

Description

This agency exclusive management development series is conducted over 12-18 months* and is provided to participants within selected agencies. The learning strategies used in this "blended" individual and organizational development series include three 24-hour classroom sessions spread out over the series, independent e-Learning courses, online instructor-led sessions, online 360-degree feedback leadership assessments, reading, participation in online community forums and discussions, individual coaching sessions, and the development of personal leadership development plans. Participants will prepare a dynamic Leadership Plan and undertake action-based learning projects focused on the relevant issues in their agencies with the intention of applying skills and strategies learned in the program to build organizational capacity and manage organizational change.

Application Requirements

Agencies interested in this program must submit Form B, available at this link http://nicic.org/Downloads/ProgramForms/Form%20B.pdf and attach a letter of interest describing their organization's need and commitment to participate in this skills-based series, which totals approximately 120 hours over a 12 - 18 month period. Final selection and scheduling of the MDF series is contingent on the organization's commitment and preparedness to support the program actively and sponsor participants in their learning prior to and throughout the series. A comprehensive readiness assessment process and interview(s) with the executive level of the agency applying will be conducted prior to NIC's commitment to the program.

Note: This application process is for agencies only. A correctional agency from jails, prisons, or community corrections must apply and be selected for this management development series. Once an agency is selected, individual application and selection will be conducted through the agency.

Note: NIC does not pay any participant expenses related to attendance or participation in the MDF Series. For more information on the MDF series or the application process, please contact one of the correctional program specialists listed under "Contacts."

Contacts

Denise K. Balazic, Academy Division; toll-free telephone: 800-995-6429, ext 4410, or 303-365-4410; e-mail: dbalazic@bop.gov.
John Eggers, Ph.D., Academy Division; toll-free telephone: 800-995-6429, ext. 4405, or 303-365-4405; e-mail: jeggers@bop.gov.
Richard Geaither, Academy Division; toll-free telephone: 800-995-6429, ext. 4407, or 303-365-4407; e-mail: rgeaither@bop.gov.
Leslie LeMaster, Academy Division; toll-free telephone: 800-995-6429, ext. 4411, or 303-365-4411; e-mail: llemaster@bop.gov.

Agency Applications Due: We continuously accept interest inquiries from agencies related to the MDF series.

*When an agency is selected, training dates will be negotiated between the assigned NIC Correctional Program Specialist and the requesting agency.

Safety vs. Savings, Where’s the Balance?

Joshua Stengel — Fri, 05 Mar 2010 23:50:00 GMT

The U.S. represents 5% of the world’s population and contains 25% of the world’s incarcerated population. China follows the U.S. holding 14% of the world’s incarcerated population. In plain English, that means the U.S. locks up a lot more people than any other country in the world—and that’s expensive.

What determines the size of correctional populations?

The Norval Morris Project’s Keystone Group commissioned author James Austin to produce "Reducing America's Correctional Population: A Strategic Plan". In it, Austin notes that "all correctional populations are the result of two key factors-admissions and length of stay (or LOS)." These two factors have driven the growth of correctional populations in the past and will be the keys to population reductions in the future. Prevention, including first admissions to any part of the criminal justice system and readmissions as a result of new sentences or revocations, could also be considered as a factor.

What needs to be done?

That’s the tricky part. There are 550,000 correctional workers in the U.S. Over $50 billion a year is spent on corrections. It’s an entrenched industry in which many individuals, communities, agencies, and industries have come to rely on the high levels incarceration. Intentionally or unintentionally, there are many people whose livelihoods depend on the business of “keeping people locked up”.

Even before the recent economic crisis, many groups, including participants in NIC’s Norval Morris Project, have been seeking ways to safely and significantly reduce the corrections population in the coming years. Plunging budgets are accelerating that process. The concern being felt in the public is that a reduction in the corrections population will correlate to a rise in crime—especially violent crime.

NIC continues to support safe reduction of the correctional population through evidence-based strategies that seek to minimize the risk to the public. You can learn more about the strategies and projects we are currently supporting in our Projects section.

Learn more about this topic…

Unlocking America: Why and How to Reduce America's Prison Population
Reducing America’s Correctional Populations: A Strategic Plan
Safety Is Issue as Budget Cuts Free Prisoners
Get connected to NIC’s Norval Morris Project
Find more information on this topic through our Library/Help Desk.

Where do you stand?

Can corrections make us so safe we can’t pay for it?

Managing Jail Design and Construction Training Opportunity for New Jail Projects

Tracey V — Wed, 03 Mar 2010 23:05:00 GMT

The National Institute of Corrections is conducting a Managing Jail Design and Construction program on June 7-10, 2010 in Aurora, Colorado. This 40-hour program is designed for agencies that are in the early stages of designing a new jail and focuses on the skills and abilities needed for an agency to take control of the jail design and construction process. The application deadline is April 2, 2010. Read more and complete apply online.

BJA Solicits Applications for FY 2010 Justice and Mental Health Collaboration Program Grants

Joshua Stengel — Wed, 17 Feb 2010 15:22:57 GMT

The Bureau of Justice Assistance (BJA), U.S. Department of Justice, has released its fiscal year 2010 solicitation for Justice and Mental Health Collaboration Program (JMHCP) grant applications. The program promotes coordination among criminal justice, juvenile justice, mental health, and substance abuse agencies. The deadline for applications is April 8, 2010, at 8:00 p.m. Eastern Standard Time.

(Updated) NIC Seeks Training Development for Prison Industry Directors

llinke — Wed, 10 Feb 2010 23:37:00 GMT

2/10/2010: Due to the temporary shutdown of Grants.gov, the closing date and question/answer dates have been extended for this solicitation. A partial list of answer has been posted with more to follow as they become available.

The National Institute of Corrections has released a solicitation for proposals to develop a training curriculum for Directors of Correctional Industries. The selected provider will work with NIC's Transition and Offender Workforce Development and Academy Divisions through a cooperative agreement. The provider will also pilot the training and modify the curriculum based on that experience. The full solicitation and application instructions are posted on Grants.gov. Questions regarding the solicitation can be e-mailed to mguevara@bop.gov, or call 303/365-4415, up to 4 pm Mountain Time on ~~Feb. 5, 2010~~ Feb. 11, 2010. Look for those Questions & Answers to be posted as an update/attachment to this blog on ~~Feb. 9, 2010~~ Feb. 17, 2010. Proposals must be submitted by ~~Feb. 12, 2010~~ Feb. 19, 2010.

Click on the following links for more information about: NIC Cooperative Agreements; NIC Transition & Offender Workforce Development; and the NIC Academy.

2/10/2010: Download Answers to Questions

(Updated with Q&A) Solicitation for a Cooperative Agreement: Mental Health Document Development

Joshua Stengel — Thu, 21 Jan 2010 15:10:00 GMT

The National Institute of Corrections (NIC) is soliciting proposals from organizations, groups or individuals to enter into a cooperative agreement for the development of a document to provide correctional administrators and practitioners in jails, prisons and community corrections a framework/model and guide to implement best strategies and practices to work with offenders diagnosed with mental illness or demonstrate mental health problems.

Deadline: Applications must be received by 4:00 p.m. EST on Friday, February 12, 2010.

Download the Full Solicitation

Jan. 20: WebEx Q & A

Jan. 20: WebEx Q & A Presentation Slides

Inmate Behavior Management Training

Tracey V — Thu, 21 Jan 2010 00:15:00 GMT

The National Institute of Corrections is offering Inmate Behavior Management as a co-sponsored training with the Rowan-Cabarrus Community College in Concord, NC. It will be held March 8-11, 2010. This program presents the six components of an inmate behavior-management plan, as follows:

Assessing the risks and needs each inmate presents (inmate classification)

Developing an inmate housing plan

Meeting basic inmate needs

Defining and conveying expectations for inmate behavior

Supervising inmates
Keeping inmates productively occupied

The application deadline is February 22, 2010. This program is open to three-person teams consisting of (1) the jail administrator, (2) the person in charge of the security staff, and (3) the person in charge of the inmate classification system. Read more and complete an online application.

New! Jail Administrator Training Scheduled

Tracey V — Thu, 21 Jan 2010 00:11:00 GMT

The National Institute of Corrections is offering Administering the Small and Medium-Sized Jail as a co-sponsored training with the Ohio Peace Officer Training Academy and the Buckeye State Sheriffs Assocation. It will be held August 9-13, 2010 in London, Ohio. The training will cover administrative responsibilities, such as:

Action planning.
Using jail standards.
Managing risk.
Developing and assessing policies and procedures.
Determining staffing needs.
Managing the workforce.
Managing inmate behavior.
Developing a fire, safety, and sanitation plan.
Managing the budget.
Administrator’s role outside the jail.
Assessing jail operations.

The application deadline has been extented to July 9, 2010. This program is open to jail administrators or an agency team composed of the agency chief executive officer (such as the sheriff) and the jail administrator or the jail administrator and assistant jail administrator from small and medium sized jails. Read more and complete an online application.

New Training available for Parole Board Members

Tracey V — Wed, 20 Jan 2010 23:57:00 GMT

The National Institute of Corrections is conducting a new training program titled Orientation for Parole Board Members on July 26-28, 2010 in Aurora, Colorado. This 40-hour program will help new parole board members gain knowledge and skills in the area of informed decisionmaking through evidence-based principles and practices for determining offender risk and motivation for change. It will also help them evaluate the efficacy of release plans. The program emphasizes the critical role of collaboration and partnerships with stakeholders to increase offender success and public safety.

The application deadline is April 26, 2010. This program is open to newly appointed parole board members and seated members with less than 5 years of service and who are responsible for review, release, and return decisionmaking. Read more and complete an online application.

Thinking for a Change (T4C): Frequently Asked Questions

Joshua Stengel — Mon, 04 Jan 2010 20:07:00 GMT

What is Thinking for a Change?

It is an integrated, cognitive behavior change program for offenders that includes cognitive restructuring, social skills development, and development of problem solving skills. You can read more about the program on the T4C webpage.

Where and when is the next training session?

The best way to find out about new opportunities and Technical Assistance (TA)-related deliveries of Thinking for a Change Facilitator’s Training and the Thinking for a Change Advanced Practicum (train the trainer) is to join the online T4C discussion group. Monthly updates and new will be posted by NIC staff to the discussion group forum. You can also respond with questions or ideas for NIC as well as discuss T4C with other discussion group members.

Can I request Technical Assistance to receive T4C training?

Yes. Follow the instructions on our Technical Assistance (TA) page to apply. Technical Assistance, or on-site training, is provided by Technical Resource Providers (TRPs) or NIC staff members who are trained to deliver the Thinking for a Change curriculum. The assigned NIC Correctional Program Specialist (CPS) will review the written request for this training and, before communicating with the requesting agency, review the NIC’s Thinking for A Change request letter to ensure it is appropriate in its content and that it is on agency letterhead and contains the signature of the agency head. It will be the role of the CPS to work out all the logistics of the event with the agency contact person whose name should also be contained in the request letter.

Direct TA requests have a funding limit of $10,000 per request. The collective cost to NIC including TRP expenses for preparation, on-site work, travel and the resulting TA report should not exceed $10,000. However, the requesting agency is expected to fund the cost of reproduction of all materials provided by NIC to be used for the instruction and facilitation of the training, the cost for any facilities within which the training will be conducted, audio-visual equipment needed for the training, and any additional costs related to internal agency participant attendance at the training.

Can participants from outside agencies join our training?

If the training is being funded through NIC Technical Assistance, only the costs of the hosting agency are covered. Participants from outside agencies will be the responsibility of the visiting participant(s) or agency.

How can I get a copy of the curriculum and related materials?

Visit this page for downloading or requesting copies of the curricula. It provides links to download electronic copies as well as the ability to request hardcopies from the NIC Information Center.

Can I use it freely?

The Thinking for a Change program is copyrighted by its authors, Jack Bush, Barry Glick, and Juliana Taymans. However, the program was prepared under funding from the National Institute of Corrections (NIC), and NIC reserves the right to authorize others to reproduce and use all or any part of the curriculum documents for use with individuals who currently are under the supervision of the court. With a letter, NIC will authorize individuals to photocopy Thinking for a Change for use with offenders under the supervision of your agency.

Is there a new revision of Thinking for a Change coming out soon?

Yes! The updating of the Thinking for a Change curriculum is nearly completed. All three original authors (Jack Bush, Barry Glick, and Juliana Taymans) are involved in the writing, and we have employed the assistance of a professional curriculum designer. We anticipate having a finished product available to the corrections community by Spring, 2010. We will post to the T4C on-line community when the new curriculum is available.

What is a Thinking for a Change (T4C) certified facilitator? How do I get the credential?

Over the past decade, thousands of individuals have been trained to facilitate the Thinking for A Change (T4C) program with offender groups. Typically, they have participated in some form of formalized training. At the conclusion of that training they may have received a participation/completion certificate. While this certificate is NIC’s Thinking for A Change routinely used as an indicator that the individual is “qualified” to facilitate the T4C program, in almost all cases, no formal assessment of program performance measures are conducted.

The National Institute of Corrections in partnership with the Center of Credentialing and Education (CCE), an internationally known credentialing organization, is in the final development stages of a formalized Thinking for a Change Certified Facilitator credential. When completed, the CCE will manage the credentialing process.

When awarded, the Thinking for A Change Certified Facilitator (T4C – CF) credential will attest to the training, knowledge, skills and competencies of those who have successfully completed the credentialing process and maintain certification. For more information on the credentialing process, please go to www.cce-global.org.

It is expected the credential will be available during the first quarter of 2010. When it is available, NIC will post information on the T4C on-line community.

Project Update & Open Invitation to Participate

Joshua Stengel — Thu, 31 Dec 2009 15:43:57 GMT

The first year of the “Identifying the Characteristics of a High Performing Corrections Organization” (HPCO) project has come to a close. In appreciation of your input and involvement, here is an overview of our progress to date and the future direction of the project. 2009 Highlights A thorough literature and tool/assessment analysis on a variety of subtopics pertaining to high-performance. Sixty-nine interviews with people from a variety of backgrounds within and outside of corrections which helped...(read more)

Copies of NIC's Jail Emergencies Guide Now Available

llinke — Tue, 22 Dec 2009 21:47:00 GMT

A Guide to Preparing for and Responding to Jail Emergencies is now available in online digital and printed formats. The document provides self-audit checklists, resource materials, and case studies for jail emergency preparedness. Click here to view or download the digital file. Link here to order a printed copy to order a copy from the NIC Information Center. NOTE: Limit of one printed copy per faciilty.

Vera Seeks Two Partners for Jail Reentry Project

llinke — Mon, 14 Dec 2009 21:48:00 GMT

Through support from the Bureau of Justice Assistance, the Vera Institute of Justice will be offering training and technical assistance to two jail facilities and their community-based organizations to implement a family-focused reentry project. Vera's Family Justice Program will 1) train jail staff on use of the Bodega Model, 2) evaluate integration of project methods and tools into staff practice, and 3) provide technical assistance to ensure sustainability. Interested agencies need to fill out a brief questionnaire (see attachment) by January 15, 2010 to apply for participation.

Creating a Workforce Development Culture To Reduce Reincarceration

Scott — Mon, 09 Nov 2009 18:24:00 GMT

In the mid-1990s, offender reentry gained visibility as an important public policy issue. At that time, organizations such as the U.S. Department of Education (ED), the National Institute of Corrections (NIC), and the National Institute of Justice began exploring offender workforce development strategies as an avenue for promoting the successful reintegration of offenders into communities. These strategies stem from the idea that offender employment builds communities, increases the economic self-sufficiency of families, strengthens fragile families, and provides structure and support for those seeking to remain crime free.

In 2003, ED's Life Skills for State and Local Prisoners Program awarded a 3-year, $1 million research/ demonstration grant to support Vermont's Workforce Development Program. Correctional administrators in Vermont aimed to reduce recidivism by 25 percent for offenders with poor work histories and moderate to high risk of reoffending by using a strengths-based approach to teach fundamental life skills throughout education, work, and living units.

This strengths-based program approach is built on participants' understanding and use of the "Habits of Mind," which are 16 aspects of behavioral intelligence, or life skills, that foster effective problem solving. In addition to reducing recidivism by 25 percent and reinforcing participants' acquisition of the Habits of Mind, the Workforce Development Program targeted a 90percent employment rate within 1 month of release and sought to make changes in the organizational culture at each of three program sites.

Read the rest of NIC's Transition and Offender Workforce Development Bulletin on NIC's website.

Green IT and State Budgets

Scott — Wed, 30 Sep 2009 15:06:00 GMT

www.nascio.org writes "States are proven leaders in the green movement. In the face of tightening budgets that demand a departure from business as usual, states are demonstrating leadership through an array of green initiatives. State governments, with their state CIO, can start greening IT practices today." Click here to view the video Taking the Lead: Green IT in the States. CIO's from various states discuss the benefit of green initiatives on the bottom line, starting points for becoming Green IT, and reducing the number of servers and physical storage.

NIC announces Green Corrections award

Scott — Wed, 30 Sep 2009 15:02:00 GMT

The National Institute of Corrections will partner with the Academy for Educational Development located in Washington, DC. The Academy will subcontract with John Jay College of Criminal Justice's Prisoner Reentry Institute, RicciGreene Associates, The Corps Network, and Dr. Pinderhughes to compose a 45-50 page white paper. The partnership will investigate offender green-collar job readiness programs, identify strategies to make penal industry products and services more environmentally friendly, and identify strategies to build or transform agencies into self-sustaining facilities.

Management of HIV/AIDS in the Correctional & Community Settings

CC Pro — Fri, 25 Sep 2009 17:52:00 GMT

"Neurological Manifestations of HIV Infection," the 34th program in the ongoing series designed to provide corrections professionals with strategies to manage HIV/AIDS in the corrections environment, will be broadcast on October 14, 2009, 12:30 - 2:30 ET. The presentation will be a live satellite videoconference and webcast. Registration is free and Continuing Education Credits (CEC) are available. For further information on the subject matter, how to register, and archived videoconferences, please click here.