**U.S. Department of JusticeNational Institute of Corrections320 First Street, NWWashington, DC 20534**

**Morris L. Thigpen***Director*

**Thomas J. Beauclair***Deputy Director*

**Robert Brown***Chief, Academy Division*

**Jim Cosby***Chief, Community Services Division*

**Harry Fenstermaker***Chief, Financial Management Division*

**Virginia Hutchinson***Chief, Jails Division*

**Christopher Innes, Ph.D.***Chief, Research and Information Services Division*

**BeLinda Watson***Chief, Prisons Division*

**Donna Ledbetter***Project Manager*

**National Institute of Corrections***www.nicic.gov*

Contents

Letter From the Director

About the National Institute of Corrections

Reaching Out

Networks

Conference Workshops

Outreach

International Leadership

Supporting Corrections in the Field

Reentry

Pretrial, Probation, and Parole

Facility Operations

Prison Rape Elimination Act

Organizational Culture

Corrections and Environmental Impact

Training Corrections Leaders for the Future

NIC Learning Center

NIC PREA Learning Center

Combined Learning Center Activity

Center for Correctional Leadership and Management Studies

Live Satellite/Internet Broadcast Series

Division Training

Publications

Continuing To Supply the Field With Information Resources

Prison Rape Elimination Act Resources

Information Center

Technical Assistance

Appendix

Letter From the Director

Dear Colleagues,

It is with great pleasure that I present to you the National Institute of Corrections (NIC) Report to the Nation for fiscal year 2011. This last year has been very important for us because it has included a number of accomplishments that have enabled us to continue to assist the field of corrections effectively.

One of our greatest achievements continues to be our ability to provide quality services to the field with a relatively small federal budget and staff. During lean economic times, it is more important than ever for us to operate efficiently and effectively, providing technical assistance, training, and information to the field—particularly as state, local, and municipal budgets continue to be reduced.

To this end, we have made great strides to increase access to professional development and training, providing 327 training opportunities to over 9,403 correctional staff and leaders over the year. We have increased our access to over 20,000 current correctional research and operational materials designed to aid staff, supervisors, and managers in developing programs and implementing innovative correctional techniques in the field.

There are many items that I am pleased to highlight in this report, including the relocation of the Robert J. Kutak library and National Corrections Academy to a new, renovated facility in Aurora, Colorado; the improvements NIC has made to enhance its communications; and the continued technical assistance that NIC provides to federal, state, local, and tribal jurisdictions as part of its core services. In the pages of this report, you will find information about these accomplishments while also learning more about our plans for the future.

Thank you for your continued support and interest in the National Institute of Corrections.

Sincerely,

**Morris L. Thigpen***Director*National Institute of Corrections

About the National Institute of Corrections

Mission

The National Institute of Corrections (NIC) is a center of learning, innovation, and leadership that shapes and advances effective correctional practice and public policy.

Strategic Outcomes

The outcomes of NIC’s activities contribute significantly to the achievement of the following state, local, and federal correctional goals and priorities:

Effectively managed prisons, jails, and community corrections programs and facilities

We will provide services in effective planning, management, and operations strategies that provide constitutional, ethical, humane, safe, and cost-effective prisons, jails, and community corrections programs and facilities.

Enhanced organizational and professional performance in corrections

We will provide education and training opportunities in management, leadership, and specialized areas based on value-centered principles and best practices that will continually enhance organizational and professional performance.

Community, staff, and offender safety

We will promote correctional practices and procedures that maximize the safety of the community, staff, and offenders; hold offenders accountable; and improve the likelihood of offenders choosing responsible, law-abiding behavior.

Improved correctional practices through the exploration of trends and public policy issues

We will promote the exploration of critical issues and the shaping of public policies that improve the effectiveness, efficiency, and humane quality of practices that impact corrections.

Enhanced services through improved organizational and staff effectiveness

We will provide opportunities for organizational and professional growth that enhance our services. We will implement a strategic management process that leads to improved organizational structure, management practices, and program planning that support the mission and vision, consistent with available resources.

Reaching Out

The National Institute of Corrections (NIC) believes strongly in maintaining positive ties and accessible connections with its core audiences. Each fiscal year (FY), NIC does this through its core mission of providing technical assistance, training, and information to the corrections field, but it also relies heavily on its professional networks, website, and other outreach tools.

Networks

Federal Interagency Reentry Council

In FY 2011, Attorney General Eric Holder convened the first meeting of the Federal Interagency Reentry Council, a collective of 19 federal agencies coming together to address public safety through cross-agency partnerships, collaborative programming, and effective interagency communication. So far, through the Council, NIC has made connections with agencies as diverse as the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, Internal Revenue Service, and U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs. These partnerships help agencies connect their efforts effectively with the corrections field.

Chief Jail Inspector Network

Of the nation’s 50 states, 33 have some form of minimum jail standards and inspection programs. These are administered by state departments of corrections (DOC), freestanding commissions within the state, departments of health, or state sheriffs’ associations. Seeing a need for collaboration among professionals in this field, the members of these organizations came to NIC to request its support of their efforts by sponsoring Chief Jail Inspector Network meetings. As part of its longstanding support for jail standards as key to improving the nation’s jails, NIC agreed to hold the meetings and continues to do so today. During these meetings, members share ideas, learn of national standards issues, and develop strategies to address the challenges of implementing and sustaining standards and inspections programs.

In addition to the annual 2-day network meeting, NIC sponsors an electronic discussion forum for the chief inspectors. The network and discussion forum have been highly successful at facilitating information sharing and problem solving among members. Also, network members provide invaluable assistance to NIC in developing documents and providing feedback on training focused on jail standards and inspection.

The most recent network meeting took place in July 2011. Comments from members included the following:

- “The PREA presentation was very informative and much needed. I came away with a better understanding, yet have more questions.”
- “The sharing of information from other states’ standards on what works will assist in making positive changes.”
- “This has always been a well-organized event and the members are willing to share their knowledge.”
- “All facilities we serve will have access to the NIC resource disk I was provided.”

Large Jail Network

Intended for jail administrators of facilities with an average daily population of 1,000 or more inmates, the NIC Large Jail Network (LJN) provides its members with the opportunity to share ideas and learn best practices in an environment that is safe and conducive to both personal growth and professional collaboration. Members are encouraged to share their experiences and seek the expertise and advice of others so that all may learn and benefit.

LJN held 2 meetings in FY 2011, which were attended by staff from 55–60 jails from around the country as well as representatives from the American Jail Association (AJA) and the American Correctional Association (ACA).

The March LJN meeting included several guest presenters. Attorney Bill Collins gave the annual legal update and addressed topics such as the current status of strip search litigation, use-of-force reporting, the Religious Land Use and Institutionalized Persons Act, and investigations and followup. Lindsay Hayes reviewed the highlights of his newly released report *National Study of Jail Suicide: 20 Years Later,* a project funded in part by NIC. Andie Moss discussed the current status of the Prison Rape Elimination Act (PREA) standards and the development of an administrator’s toolkit to be issued by NIC for training and teaching staff how to handle PREA incidents. Dr. Michael Jones discussed how to use data more effectively in justifications and presentations.

The September meeting was conducted mostly by the attendees themselves with presentations on the topics of staff issues—dealing with applicants, discipline and rumor control, and technology updates—and the Florida prescription drug epidemic and its impact on inmate housing. In response to their request for information on how to spot and deal with employee abuses of the Family Medical Leave Act, the attendees also received a presentation from the U.S. Department of Labor on the Act’s rules and regulations. Representatives from the AJA and ACA presented legislative updates.

Both meetings facilitated a great deal of networking and problem solving among the participants. Each meeting provided an opportunity for attendees to discuss issues they encountered in the time between meetings.

Pretrial Executive Network

Directors of established pretrial services programs nationwide are invited to become part of NIC’s Pretrial Executive Network. The mission of the network is to promote pretrial services programming as an integral part of state and local criminal justice systems. Its goals are to make pretrial programming relevant in national criminal justice funding, support training and technical assistance, encourage expanded research in the pretrial field, and identify best and promising practices in the pretrial release and diversion fields. Highlights from FY 2011 include the following:

- The Pretrial Executive Network identified the need for consistent and meaningful data to track individual pretrial services program performance. Current information on pretrial programming was limited and usually not descriptive of individual program outcomes. National data specific to pretrial program outcomes and performance would help individual programs measure their effectiveness in achieving goals and objectives and meeting the expectations of their respective justice systems. Consistent with public- and private-sector best practices, the network developed a comprehensive list of pretrial services program *outcome measures, performance measures,* and *mission critical data* that would best tie into an individual agency’s mission, local justice system needs, state and local bail laws, and national pretrial release standards. This list of measures and data now serves as the foundation of pretrial practice and the benchmark of success in the pretrial corrections field. 
- As a result of the network’s efforts, NIC published  *Measuring What Matters: Outcome and Performance Measures for the Pretrial Services Field*  and has made it available via the NIC website.
- NIC proactively engaged the corrections field in dialogue about pretrial issues with the appearance of its staff on DC Public Safety, a national online radio broadcast focusing on public safety issues affecting the District of Columbia and the nation. The broadcast is now available online at  http://media.csosa.gov/podcast/audio/2011/09/national-institute-of-corrections-and-dc-pretrial-measuring-what-matters-dc-public-safety/ .

Association of Correctional Mental Health Administrators

The Association of Correctional Mental Health Administrators (ACMHA) is NIC’s mental health network. The mission of this association is to help define, support, and advance the field of correctional mental health services through research, training, and dissemination of knowledge concerning evidence-based, innovative, and best practices in the field. Currently, the association’s efforts are focused within seven workgroups, including diagnostics, ethics/legal issues, research, segregation, self-harm/self-injurious offenders, suicide, and treatment. Steven Allen, Behavioral Health Director for the Minnesota Department of Corrections, serves as ACMHA’s Chair. Below is a brief list of highlights from the group during FY 2011:

NIC STAFF HIGHLIGHT

Anita Pollard

During a meeting with U.S. Public Health Service Commissioned Corps officers stationed at the Bureau of Prisons Central Office, Deputy Surgeon General Boris Lushniack presented National Institute of Corrections Correctional Health Manager Anita Pollard with an award of recognition for her efforts in recruiting members to pursue careers in health services.

- The annual meeting was held in Aurora, CO, on May 3–4, 2011. There were a total of 47 participants, which included representatives from 43 state DOCs and 2 large jail systems (Philadelphia and New York City), and 2 representatives from the Bureau of Prisons. The 2-day agenda included presentations from Dr. Jeffrey Metzner of the University of Colorado, who presented on the Colorado Department of Correction Administration Segregation Report (published in October 2010); Lindsay Hayes, who presented on prison suicide; and Nicole Jarrett of the Council of State Governments Justice Center, who presented on the Behavioral Health Framework.
- The ACMHA Administrative Committee and Workgroup Chairs met on September 26–27, 2011, at NIC in Washington, DC. The highlight of this meeting was the establishment of a multiyear strategic plan.
- The association’s newly established webpage went live in FY 2011 and can be found at  http://community.nicic.gov/wikis/acmha/association-of-correctional-mental-health-administrators.aspx.

Coalition of Public Correctional Pharmacy Directors

The Coalition of Public Correctional Pharmacy Directors (CPCPD) is an NIC network of pharmacy directors representing 23 state departments of corrections and the Federal Bureau of Prisons. Its mission is to compare, share, network, and further unify the pharmaceutical health care of correctional institutions. It recognizes that correctional pharmacy is a specialty apart and unique from other practices of pharmacy. CPCPD members share their successes as well as failures, hoping that members will collaborate on best practices within state-operated correctional pharmacy programs. Additionally, CPCPD strives to develop effective cost-containment strategies that help optimize pharmacy operations.

In FY 2011, members of CPCPD participated in NIC’s first corrections pharmaceutical health care satellite/Internet broadcast. The program addressed issues of appropriate and ethical pharmacy management, continuity of care for offenders reentering the community, and cost-saving methods of drug acquisition and pharmacy operations. NIC continues to support this group’s efforts and is currently helping them to establish a publicly accessible page on the NIC website.

Conference Workshops

NIC seizes every opportunity available, given its limited resources, to provide training and assistance to corrections practitioners. In FY 2011, NIC was able to train hundreds of correctional staff through its timely correctional workshops. Popular workshop topics included:

- A session on the applications of “Dialogical Leadership” presented at the National Association of Blacks in Criminal Justice conference.
- A presentation titled “Are You Committing Training Malpractice: Evidence-Based Workplace Learning” offered at the ACA, International Community Corrections Association, and International Association of Correctional Training Personnel conferences.
- Continued partnership with ACA’s Committee on Correctional Training through cofacilitated workshops on Staff Performance Enhancement Trends at both the winter and summer ACA conferences.
- Presentations on legal issues, crisis intervention teams/mentally ill offenders, and the Transition from Jail to Community (TJC) model at the AJA conference.
- A presentation on evidence-based decisionmaking for the National Association of Counties.
- Collaboration with the Correctional Security Network during its annual conference. NIC sessions included Conducting Security Audits, Emergency Preparedness, Operational Practices in Women’s Prisons, and Terrorism Information Sharing. In addition, NIC participated in a tour of the federal facility at Terre Haute near Indianapolis, IN.
- A training session on the Systems Approach to Achieving Performance Excellence at the August 2011 ACA conference. The presentation included an overview to states that may be interested in applying for projects that will help them improve agency performance.
- A workshop on ethics for the North American Association of Wardens and Superintendents.

Outreach

NIC Website

The NIC website has undergone significant upgrades in FY 2011. The website now has improved search capabilities, making it even easier to access information and request corrections research assistance online. The new persistent navigation bar and homepage menu also make it easier to register for training, request technical assistance, apply for cooperative agreements, and collaborate with other corrections practitioners through the NIC Corrections Community. Updates on NIC initiatives are also easily accessible through updated project pages, discussion networks, and public forums.

Other innovative features include the website’s popular projects navigation. By clicking the Projects tab and then Popular Topics, website users can discover the top 10 most visited project areas on the NIC website. This simple navigation helps NIC stay abreast of the needs of the field and anticipate demand for its products. In FY 2011, more then 570,000 visitors accessed the NIC website.

Corrections Community

As part of its commitment to open government, NIC designated the Corrections Community as a space on its website where staff can quickly share achievements and update the field on the progress they make on their projects. The space encourages feedback and response from readers and is a catalyst for continual engagement with the corrections field. More than 195,000 visitors accessed the Corrections Community in FY 2011, and to date, the community has more than 16,700 members. These members have contributed to approximately 32,663 discussions since July 2007. Combined with totals from the NIC website, NIC’s online visitors spent the equivalent of 1,525 days accessing NIC resources.

NIC Mobile Application

Now in beta is the newest addition to NIC’s lineup of tools to meet constituents wherever they are. It is NIC’s mobile application, and it includes many of the same features found on the NIC website but with the convenience of a mobile device.

Links from the application’s homepage take users to new items in the library, upcoming trainings, news and announcements, and the NIC Information Center Help Desk. Additional links take application users to the NIC homepage, Corrections Community, and NIC Learning Center.

NIC E-Newsletter

*Corrections from the Field,* the NIC e-newsletter launched in June 2011, is the first official general corrections newsletter from the agency. The newsletter highlights initiatives, trainings, and events sponsored by NIC as well as developments in the field of corrections. FY 2011 topics included the use of technology in corrections, volunteerism in corrections, and the memorial announcement of the passing of Allen F. Breed, former NIC Director (1977–83). Newsletter articles are intentionally brief to stimulate dialogue and keep the field abreast of new trends.

Mental Health Newsletter

*Corrections and Mental Health Update* is NIC’s mental health newsletter. Noting the need in the field for current mental health research and its impact on corrections, NIC developed the newsletter for corrections practitioners, corrections health and mental health specialists, and interested citizens. NIC publishes the newsletter quarterly.

NIC BOARD HIGHLIGHT

Diane Williams

National Institute of Corrections (NIC) Advisory Board Chairman Diane Williams was named a “Champion of Change” by the Obama administration in fiscal year 2011. Ms. Williams’ receipt of the honor hails her work as president and chief executive officer of the Safer Foundation, an Illinois-based organization whose mission is to provide reentering offenders with services and support, such as employment, education, and housing assistance, that will help them restart their lives and reduce recidivism.

In a 3-year study, researchers from Loyola University found that reentering offenders under the Safer Foundation programs had a 34-percent lower rate of recidivism than other reentering offenders in Illinois who did not participate in the programs. In a statement for the White House, Ms. Williams noted that the Safer Foundation helped more than 3,800 people become employed. “In an economy like we face,” she said, “... that’s not a decent thing to do, but we believe it’s a necessary thing to do.”

*NIC Report to the Nation, FY 2010*

The first release of the *NIC Report to the Nation* was in FY 2011, highlighting NIC’s activities for the previous fiscal year. This landmark publication was NIC’s first attempt in several years to develop a single publication that summarizes its many achievements and milestones for the nation.

International Leadership

In FY 2011, NIC led two projects that shared U.S. correctional leadership learning with international partners: Developing Correctional Leaders for Mexico and Developing Correctional Leaders for Lebanon. The projects were joint efforts among NIC, the U.S. Department of State, and the Bureau of Prisons (BOP). Highlights from the training included:

- Developing Correctional Leaders for Mexico:   - Linked to the Mexican government’s strategic plan.
  - Designed to develop a cadre of more than 100 senior correctional leaders for Mexico’s correctional system.
  - Offered five times in 2011: three times at Beaumont, TX; twice at Victorville, CA.
  - BOP complexes (prisons with multiple security levels in one location) were used to illustrate the day-to-day insights required to lead and manage correctional facilities of the complexity and size found in the BOP.
  - Based on NIC’s Correctional Leadership Development model.
  - NIC’s Core Competency Model and all curricula have been translated into Spanish.
  - A second year of training is planned. 
- Developing Correctional Leaders for Lebanon:   - Four programs are anticipated.
  - Anticipated to follow the Mexico project framework.
  - Anticipated to lead to the development of more than 100 senior Lebanese correctional leaders.
  - Completion of the project will include translation of NIC’s Core Competency Model and curricula into Arabic. 

Supporting Corrections in the Field

During fiscal year (FY) 2011, the National Institute of Corrections (NIC) sponsored many ongoing initiatives to support corrections professionals throughout the nation and in particular regions. These initiatives are designed to help corrections professionals in the field:

- Help inmates transition from jail or prison to their communities and stay productively employed in the community.
- Improve decisionmaking by parole boards and other corrections professionals in the pretrial, probation, and parole fields.
- Improve facility operations by developing and implementing innovative cost-containment strategies.
- Enforce the provisions of the Prison Rape Elimination Act (PREA) and gather the information required under the act.
- Improve their organizational culture through achieving performance excellence, workplace learning, and staff performance enhancement.
- Share information and develop strategies regarding environmental initiatives in the corrections field.

See table 1 for a ranking of corrections topics.

Table 1. Ranking of Corrections Topics by Importance Among Corrections Practitioners Surveyed
|          | Top 10 Overall                             |
|----------|--------------------------------------------|
|          | All                                        | Community Corrections Rank | JailsRank | PrisonsRank | OtherRank |
| **Rank** |                                            |  |  |  |  |  |
| 1        | Funding/Budget                             | 1.0 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 3 |
| 2        | Leadership/Management Development          | 2.0 | 4 | 1 | 2 | 6 |
| 3        | Offender Services and Programs             | 3.0 | 2 | 7 | 5 | 1 |
| 4        | Staff Performance Enhancement              | 4.0 | 6 | 3 | 4 | 4 |
| 5        | Agency Staffing                            | 5.0 | 9 | 4 | 3 | 9 |
| 6        | Offender Risk Reduction                    | 6.0 | 3 |  | 6 | 2 |
| 7        | Managing Special Offenders                 | 7.0 | 7 | 5 | 7 | 5 |
| 8        | Internal Agency Development and Management | 8.0 | 8 | 8 | 10 | 7 |
| 9        | New Technologies                           | 9.0 |  |  | 9 | 8 |
| 10       | Agency Workforce                           | 10.0 |  |  | 4 | 10 |

The table details results from NIC’s most recent environmental scan. It shows rankings for corrections topics by importance as noted by more than 1,000 respondents.

Reentry

Transition/Reentry Initiatives

Much of what NIC does has an effect on offenders’ transition from jail or prison and their return to their home communities. In FY 2000, NIC began investing in specific transition initiatives. Now, 11 years later, NIC has developed two highly esteemed offender reentry/transition models that are currently being used throughout the country: Transition from Prison to Community (TPC) and Transition from Jail to Community (TJC).

NIC STAFF HIGHLIGHT

Jimmy L. Cosby

In fiscal year 2011, Jimmy L. Cosby was named chief of the National Institute of Corrections’ (NIC’s) Community Services Division. He joined NIC after an extensive career in Tennessee corrections, where he served as a parole officer and regional director before becoming Assistant Commissioner for Rehabilitative Services of the Tennessee Department of Correction. As Assistant Commissioner, he helped develop the Tennessee Reentry Collaborative, the first formally recognized reentry program in the state of Tennessee.

Transition from Prison to Community

The purpose of the TPC initiative is to help jurisdictions look strategically at their local reentry process. This focus helps jurisdictions improve both internal operations and external community partnerships that foster the successful, crime-free return of offenders back into the community. Now in its final year at NIC, the TPC initiative is working on multiagency ownership concerns, speaking to the TPC/TJC principle that offender reentry is not successfully addressed only by the corrections agency but in coordination with partners from other public agencies responsible for areas like housing, public and mental health, substance abuse, and other community-based services and programs. The last aspect of this initiative will be assisting jurisdictions in the sustainability and maintenance of their reentry programs once NIC-funded assistance concludes.

Top NIC initiatives reported throughout the nation included:
    - Prison Rape Elimination Act.
    - Evidence-Based Decisionmaking for Local Criminal Justice Systems.
    - Direct Supervision.

Transition from Jail to Community

Under the TJC initiative, six local jurisdictions are completing the first round of assistance, with another set of six local jurisdictions to be selected early in FY 2012. As a result of the work of these jurisdictions using the TJC model, NIC has developed the *TJC Implementation Toolkit**,* a Web-based program that leads jurisdictions through the initiation and maintenance of the TJC model. Assessments are now being administered, and programs are being targeted to populations with a high risk to reoffend. In addition, four jurisdictions have implemented the cognitive curriculum, Thinking for a Change, for use in jail and community settings, and there is impressive sharing and collaboration between jails and partner agencies in the community.

Offender Employment Retention

The Offender Employment Retention initiative supports the development of programs in local jurisdictions that assess offenders at high risk for job loss, identify specific job-loss indicators, and then provide support to break the chain of events that too often result in an offender’s termination from a job. A major component of this initiative is NIC’s Offender Employment Retention Specialist training designed for individuals involved in developing and managing offender workforce programs.

Correctional Industries

The Correctional Industries (CI) initiative was developed in FY 2011 and serves as a catalyst to provide CI staff with the knowledge, skills, and abilities needed to identify relevant organizational priorities, establish strategic objectives, identify measurable goals, establish collaborative partnerships, use current labor market information, and provide specialized services and programming that support offenders’ long-term attachment to the labor force. NIC is currently developing a new training for CI directors that is scheduled to be piloted in April 2012.

Pretrial, Probation, and Parole

Parole Board Decisionmaking Model Development

During FY 2011, NIC has continued its commitment to promoting evidence-based practices in corrections by expanding its reach to the analysis of parole board decisionmaking. Current NIC research includes studying parole board decision outcome data to determine whether using a parole board decisionmaking model developed in Canada can lead to an increase in the number of  successful parole releases. In collaboration with Canadian partners, NIC is piloting the use of this Canadian model in Ohio and Connecticut.

Evidence-Based Decisionmaking in Local Criminal Justice Systems

In June 2008, NIC launched a three-phase initiative to address Evidence-Based Decisionmaking in Local Criminal Justice Systems (EBDM). The goal of phase 1 of the initiative was to build a framework that would follow offenders from arrest through final disposition and discharge that would result in more collaborative, evidence-based decisionmaking and practices in local criminal justice systems. Phase 2 of the initiative, the planning and engagement phase, involved selecting seven jurisdictions to serve as “seed” or test sites. Those sites are Mesa County, CO; Grant County, IN; Ramsey County, MN; Yamhill County, OR; City of Charlottesville/Albemarle County, VA; Eau Claire County, WI; and Milwaukee County, WI.

As phase 2 closes, funding will be available for at least three jurisdictions to move to phase 3, full implementation of the EBDM initiative, in FY 2012. However, NIC will continue to provide technical assistance and training to the remaining four jurisdictions; it is clear that each of the jurisdictions has achieved varying degrees of success and has demonstrated different strengths and barriers to planning and implementation.

Facility Operations

Cost Containment

Funding corrections operations and facilities has never been popular with the public. Schools, parks, emergency services, bridges, roads, and other projects are generally more appealing to taxpayers. NIC’s annual environmental scans and needs assessments of the corrections landscape nearly always reflect this difficulty. Corrections officials usually rank budgets, funding levels, and managing costs at or near the top as a priority. NIC responded to this need by first employing its more traditional strategies for disseminating cost-containment information. Later, it was decided that a Web-based resource would be the best way to get the most information out to the largest number of people in the most flexible manner.

Substantial progress was made in FY 2011 toward creating a Web-based cost-containment information resource and included the following milestones:

- A subject-matter-expert group was impaneled to guide the project, offer comment and expertise, and translate private-sector cost-containment strategies into the language of corrections. The panel includes representation from corrections, PricewaterhouseCoopers, the Moss Group (the cooperative agreement awardee tasked with assisting in the completion of the project), and NIC.
- A field assessment was conducted to obtain information about and develop a sketch of current cost-containment strategies being implemented by corrections agencies. Thirty of fifty state corrections departments responded to a questionnaire, providing substantial and relevant information that will be used to enhance the project.
- The panel drafted and reviewed a key cost-containment tool for the Web-based cost-containment center. This tool is now in the final stages of development.
- A workshop was presented at the ACA summer 2011 conference to introduce the cost-containment center and solicit input about the concept and how the field might use such a tool.
- Work began on the website “buildout” of the Web-based center and the development of a rollout plan.

Systems Approach for Organizational Performance

One of NIC’s newest initiatives, the Systems Approach for Organizational Performance, assists states with the planning and development of a major project undertaking in their agency. In FY 2011, NIC began working with the Nebraska Department of Correctional Services in the realignment of its inmate population in preparation for reentry.

NIC STAFF HIGHLIGHT

Dee Halley

Correctional Program Specialist Deborah “Dee” Halley received a Special Recognition Award from the Bureau of Prisons for her work overseeing National Institute of Corrections (NIC) activities relating to the Prison Rape Elimination Act (PREA). Since 2004, Ms. Halley has managed a budget of $9 million and addressed more than 280 technical assistance requests and more than 149 training events focused on PREA awareness, system planning, and policy development. Today, she continues those efforts and has been instrumental in developing NIC’s comprehensive PREA training and website resources.

Ms. Halley also leads NIC’s cost-containment initiative, which helps corrections organizations analyze their spending and look for effective ways to reduce costs.

The fiscal year (FY) 2010 award was announced and presented in the summer of FY 2011.

Prison Rape Elimination Act

Throughout FY 2011, NIC continued its work to implement Section 5 of PREA, 42 USC 15604, which mandates NIC to provide information, assistance, and training and education to federal, state, and local authorities responsible for the prevention, investigation, and punishment of instances of prison rape. While work progressed on the development of several products, including components of a legal issues toolkit and a policy development guide for agencies housing lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and intersex offenders, NIC received and processed more than 30 technical assistance requests under PREA. As has been the case since NIC began work on the PREA initiative in 2003, the field has continued to make progress in addressing staff sexual misconduct and inmate-on-inmate sexual assault.

During the past few years, requesters have begun asking for more complex assistance. Instead of simply introducing PREA to practitioners, NIC resource providers are making assistance available with investigations training, sexual safety in women’s prisons, and operational and cultural assessments.

In late 2008, Dr. Barbara Owen and Dr. James Wells completed work on a study funded by the National Institute of Justice that examined the contextual factors that contribute to violence and safety in women’s correctional facilities. NIC awarded the team a cooperative agreement to further validate the findings and then shorten and finalize the validation of the Women’s Correctional Safety Scales, which help determine female offenders’ risks and needs. These scales will be developed into an instrument that will help determine sexual safety in women’s facilities. Significant progress has been made toward developing an instrument that uses these scales to measure sexual safety in women’s correctional facilities. Throughout 2011, the team has been testing the instrument at facilities around the country. In all, 3,674 inmates in 13 facilities of varying types and sizes participated in the pilot study.

Organizational Culture

“Culture” has a long history and has been defined in different ways. Organizational culture describes the philosophy and attitudes that staff have about work and the experiences they have with an organization. The examination of organizational culture commonly describes the analysis of shared assumptions, values, beliefs, and attitudes. Organizations often have a limited notion of what these are within their organization, making the task of studying culture largely a difficult one. In corrections, the existing culture can create obstacles that hinder organizational performance. Since the 1990s, NIC has been working continually to identify practices to remove barriers and improve correctional culture in ways that affect public safety, staff safety, and the care of offenders while working to reduce victimization.

Achieving Performance Excellence

In FY 2011, NIC introduced Achieving Performance Excellence (APEX), a new business model designed specifically for correctional organizations that offers a systems approach to organizational change. The APEX model provides multiple tools and strategies to help agencies achieve higher performance, apply evidence-based practices, and engage in data-driven decisionmaking. In addition, this model provides agencies with a path to creating a culture and a management environment that encourages innovative ideas, greater communication, and improved services, processes, and results. Training for multiple state and local correctional agencies will begin in early 2012. Their collaborative participation in the training will build national partnerships that will help improve the criminal justice system.

Workplace Learning and Staff Performance Enhancement

The Workplace Learning and Staff Performance Enhancement initiative piloted a catalog of six virtual instructor-led courses that detailed the changing nature of training/learning in corrections. In addition, the Workplace Learning Annotated Bibliography was launched on the NIC website. It represents the continuing body of research now available on human learning. NIC consistently applies this and other research to the delivery of each of its training programs.

Corrections and Environmental Impact

NIC’s Green Corrections initiative represents an effort to help agencies develop collaborative programs focused on sustainability and transfer of knowledge regarding environmental policies and practices. Through the initiative, state correctional agencies gain access to the expertise and experience of leading green job readiness and education programs, transformative sustainability strategies, planning, technical support, and peer networking opportunities. NIC will emphasize the need for the agency to plan and incorporate the work into the agency strategic plan.

In May 2011, NIC released the publication *The Greening of Corrections: Creating a Sustainable System**.*

Project goals for 2012 are to:

- Provide targeted technical assistance to state correctional agencies to assist them in creating a green strategic action plan and documenting lessons learned to advance the field.
- Establish a green community of practice to create a peer learning community among state correctional agencies.
- Develop and build strategic partnerships to broaden and enhance the community of practice through leveraging partnerships with private foundations.
- Expand the scope of work and build new partnerships that may not have previously existed between NIC and the technical assistance site to facilitate the sharing of resources.
- Convene a thought-leader roundtable focused on Women, Prison, and the Green Economy.

Training Corrections Leaders for the Future

Training and education are at the core of the National Institute of Corrections’ (NIC’s) mission, and they permeate every aspect of what NIC does for the field. NIC provides information and instruction in corrections using the NIC Learning Center, the NIC Prison Rape Elimination Act (PREA) Learning Center, the Center for Correctional Leadership and Management Studies, the NIC Information Center, satellite/Internet broadcasts, and dedicated staff from the NIC Academy and other divisions.

NIC Learning Center

The NIC Learning Center (http://nic.learn.com) provides access to corrections professionals who are interested in registering for an NIC classroom program, Virtual Instructor-Led Training (VILT) program, or e-course. VILT programs are facilitated live in an online classroom environment. Students can network, share experiences, and interact with an instructor from their own computers just as they would in a classroom setting. E-courses are similar to listening to a lecture online with interactive graphics, exercises, quizzes, and tests. This form of training is self-paced and allows students to pause and resume training at their convenience.

The NIC Learning Center is available to federal, state, local, and tribal corrections professionals whose jobs are in executive management, middle management, firstline supervision, offender programming, or training/staff development in corrections. During fiscal year (FY) 2011, 69 classroom programs, 28 VILTs, and 230 e-courses were available to corrections professionals. Upon completion of any NIC Learning Center training activity, participants immediately receive a certificate acknowledging their participation.

Table 2. Agency Affiliations of Users of the NIC and PREA Learning Centers
| Agency Affiliations                       | Frequency | Percent   |
|-------------------------------------------|-----------|-----------|
| State                                     | 3,715     | 39.5      |
| County                                    | 3,103     | 33.0      |
| Federal—Bureau of Prisons                 | 1,429     | 15.2      |
| Private                                   | 656       | 7.0       |
| None listed                               | 196       | 2.1       |
| Municipal                                 | 114       | 1.2       |
| Federal—Other                             | 88        | 0.9       |
| Regional                                  | 54        | 0.6       |
| Foreign                                   | 14        | 0.1       |
| Indian Country—Tribal                     | 13        | 0.1       |
| U.S. Commonwealth or Territory            | 11        | 0.1       |
| Indian Country—Bureau of Indian Affairs   | 10        | 0.1       |
| **Total**                                 | **9,403** | **100.0** |

Corrections professionals working in federal, state, and county corrections agencies accounted for 87.7 percent of all students in the NIC and PREA Learning Centers. Table 2 presents agency affiliation data for all active users on September 30, 2011.

Corrections professionals working in adult prisons and jails accounted for 57.8 percent of all students in the NIC and PREA Learning Centers. Table 3 presents data on the primary area of corrections affiliation for all active users on September 30, 2011.

Table 4 presents state affiliation data for all active users on September 30, 2011.

NIC PREA Learning Center

The NIC PREA Learning Center (http://nic.learn.com/PREA) was created to support the Prison Rape Elimination Act of 2003. The PREA Learning Center offers the e-course Your Role: Responding to Sexual Abuse, which provides a comprehensive overview of the act and is designed to increase students’ understanding of the dynamics of sexual abuse among male inmates, female inmates, and between staff and inmates. This course teaches participants how to respond effectively and appropriately to allegations of sexual abuse in a correctional facility. A certificate is immediately available to participants upon completion of the course. Your Role: Responding to Sexual Abuse is eligible to all staff working in a correctional setting. During FY 2011, a total of 3,497 correctional professionals completed this e-course.

Table 3. Primary Area of Corrections Affiliations of Users of the NIC and PREA Learning Centers
| Type of Agency                              | Frequency | Percent   |
|---------------------------------------------|-----------|-----------|
| Adult Prison                                | 2,857     | 30.4      |
| Adult Jail                                  | 2,581     | 27.4      |
| Juvenile Detention                          | 930       | 9.9       |
| Adult Community Corrections                 | 913       | 9.7       |
| General Corrections                         | 569       | 6.1       |
| Adult Other                                 | 540       | 5.7       |
| Juvenile Community Corrections              | 515       | 5.5       |
| Secure Juvenile Facility or Training School | 303       | 3.2       |
| None Listed                                 | 195       | 2.1       |
| **Total**                                   | **9,403** | **100.0** |

Table 4. State Affiliations of Users of the NIC and PREA Learning Centers
| State              | Frequency | Percent   |
|--------------------|-----------|-----------|
| MD                 | 939       | 10.0      |
| FL                 | 864       | 9.2       |
| TX                 | 445       | 4.7       |
| CA                 | 433       | 4.6       |
| CO                 | 393       | 4.2       |
| TN                 | 328       | 3.5       |
| NC                 | 321       | 3.4       |
| MO                 | 306       | 3.3       |
| SC                 | 293       | 3.1       |
| KS                 | 284       | 3.0       |
| NM                 | 280       | 3.0       |
| MT                 | 249       | 2.6       |
| OK                 | 215       | 2.3       |
| AZ                 | 206       | 2.2       |
| IN                 | 203       | 2.2       |
| NV                 | 199       | 2.1       |
| VA                 | 191       | 2.0       |
| WV                 | 174       | 1.9       |
| AL                 | 173       | 1.8       |
| GA                 | 170       | 1.8       |
| PA                 | 161       | 1.7       |
| IL                 | 144       | 1.5       |
| NY                 | 141       | 1.5       |
| No Response        | 139       | 1.5       |
| LA                 | 136       | 1.4       |
| AR                 | 134       | 1.4       |
| AK                 | 129       | 1.4       |
| OH                 | 126       | 1.3       |
| KY                 | 124       | 1.3       |
| IA                 | 113       | 1.2       |
| OR                 | 112       | 1.2       |
| DE                 | 108       | 1.1       |
| WI                 | 105       | 1.1       |
| CT                 | 103       | 1.1       |
| NE                 | 99        | 1.1       |
| ID                 | 92        | 1.0       |
| WA                 | 87        | 0.9       |
| MN                 | 83        | 0.9       |
| MI                 | 80        | 0.9       |
| DC                 | 75        | 0.8       |
| MA                 | 71        | 0.8       |
| NJ                 | 62        | 0.7       |
| HI                 | 45        | 0.5       |
| MS                 | 44        | 0.5       |
| NH                 | 35        | 0.4       |
| UT                 | 29        | 0.3       |
| ME                 | 26        | 0.3       |
| RI                 | 25        | 0.3       |
| International User | 24        | 0.3       |
| SD                 | 22        | 0.2       |
| WY                 | 18        | 0.2       |
| VT                 | 16        | 0.2       |
| ND                 | 14        | 0.1       |
| PR                 | 6         | 0.1       |
| VI                 | 5         | 0.1       |
| GU                 | 4         | 0.0       |
| **Total**          | **9,403** | **100.0** |

Combined Learning Center Activity

The NIC Learning Center and PREA Learning Center were popular learning destinations for federal, state, local, and tribal corrections professionals. Between the first and fourth quarters of 2011, the number of approved students in the NIC Learning Center and PREA Learning Center rose by 54 percent (see figure 1). As of September 30, 2011, there were 9,385 students with active accounts. Additionally, 1,625 students completed a classroom training program or network meeting while 463 completed a VILT program. The use of e-courses among corrections professionals increased at a rapid pace when compared to previous years. Students completed 16,462 e-courses during FY 2011, which is a 60-percent increase over FY 2010 and a 401-percent increase over FY 2008 (see figure 2).

| Figure 1. Approved Users in NIC’s Learning Management System During FY 2011   | Figure 2. E-Course Completions Between FY 2008 and FY 2011 |
|-------------------------------------------------------------------------------|------------------------------------------------------------|

Top NIC training events reported throughout the nation included:
    - Direct Supervision.
    - Senior Level Leader Training.
    - Executive Excellence.
    - Building Effective Work Teams.

Center for Correctional Leadership and Management Studies

The NIC Center for Correctional Leadership and Management Studies (CCLMS) focuses on creating innovative leadership, management, and organizational development products with an emphasis on evidence-based research and practice. The site was launched on the NIC website under the “Projects” link.

One of the first initiatives of the CCLMS was the creation of what NIC has called the “University Model,” which restructures how customers are guided through leadership and management courses. Participants must complete courses progressively, with one course building on the next. These progressions are similar to what you might find in a college study program, where there may be 100- and 200-level courses in a subject area. The University Model expands the accessibility of NIC’s leadership and management development training, making coursework available to corrections personnel who may not currently be at the executive, senior, or managerial levels in their agencies.

Live Satellite/Internet Broadcast Series

FY 2011 marks the 20th anniversary of the NIC Live Satellite/Internet Broadcast series. NIC successfully aired five long-form broadcasts this fiscal year, covering a range of critical issues in corrections. The total viewing audience for these broadcasts was estimated at more than 15,500 viewers. Topics for the broadcast series in FY 2011 included:

- Reduce Costs, Lower Risks, Enhance Healthcare Services: The Promise of Effective Pharmaceutical Management.
- Thinking for a Change 3.0: Worth the Wait!
- What Really Counts in Corrections: Performance-Based Measurement System.
- Correctional Industries Programming: A Working Solution!
- Offender Employment Retention: Worth the Work!

Enhancements to the broadcasts this year included the streamlining of the broadcast planning process, the addition of “live chat” during broadcasts, flexible use of cohosts, the use of prerecorded correctional-oriented video scenarios, and improved followup responses to audience questions that did not air.

In FY 2012, NIC plans to produce five new broadcasts on emerging correctional topics.

Division Training

Offender Workforce Development Specialist Partnership Training

NIC provides Offender Workforce Development Specialist (OWDS) Partnership Training in collaboration with the National Career Development Association (www.ncda.org). The progam teaches participants how to develop and manage effective job placement and business partnership programs in local jurisdictions. Participants who complete the program may apply for Global Career Development Facilitator certification through the Center for Credentialing and Education, Inc. (www.cce-global.org). They may also apply to receive six undergraduate- or graduate-level college credits through Indiana State University.

In FY 2011, the curriculum was revised to maximize the use of blended learning, an approach that takes the best of classroom learning and infuses e-course, self-study, and other methods into the learning process. By incorporating e-courses and fieldwork into the new curriculum, classroom time was reduced from 3 weeks to 2 weeks, resulting in a more efficient, cost-effective way to deliver the OWDS Partnership Training.

The newly revised training was piloted in the Jacksonville (FL) Sheriff’s Office and in La Crosse County (WI) on the following days:

- Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office:   - February 28–March 4, 2011.
  - June 13–17, 2011. 
- La Crosse County:   - May 2–6, 2011.
  - August 1–5, 2011. 

The 16 participants who completed the training in Jacksonville presented action plans that will contribute to a larger communitywide reentry initiative involving the local sheriff’s office and the city of Jacksonville.

As an NIC Transition from Jail to Community (TJC) site, La Crosse County will incorporate OWDS into its comprehensive reentry strategy. The 13 participants who completed the training developed action plans that will support the TJC initiative.

The pilot training programs allowed NIC to field test the revised curriculum, blended delivery strategy, and onsite partnerships.

Offender Employment Retention Training

Offender Employment Retention Training builds on the relationship between the principles of cognitive behavioral therapy and motivational interviewing techniques. Together, these help offenders create a solid foundation for self-exploration—one that helps to resolve any ambivalence to change. The training also provides instruction in the administration of an Employment Retention Inventory, an assessment tool that creates a process whereby offenders can be connected to specialized services that successfully address their recidivism and employment retention needs. This new 40-hour training, delivered using blended-learning techniques, was successfully piloted in January and May 2011.

Administering the Large Jail

Piloted in January 2011, Administering the Large Jail provides new administrators with both the immediate knowledge and long-term skills they need to manage a large jail system (1,000 or more beds) effectively. Throughout the program, participants have the opportunity to identify and discuss priorities for personal development and improvements in their own facilities. Topics include liability management, executive management, organizational assessment, working with the external environment, staffing and workforce management, risk management, budget and resource management, and inmate management. Participant feedback following the pilot indicated that students found the course both relevant and useful. One participant noted that “the course was right on target not only for new large jail administrators but for all large jail administrators.” Another participant commented that it was a “great class. I will use what I’ve learned back at my agency.”

Training Snapshot: Jail Administration

In mid-September 2011, 24 participants, including sheriffs and jail administrators from 23 jurisdictions across the United States, gathered at the National Institute of Corrections’ (NIC’s) new National Corrections Academy (NCA) in Aurora, CO, to participate in NIC’s first Jail Administration program since the NCA opened in June 2011.

During the introduction, participants received an overview of NIC’s website and Information Center. Participants were able to browse the Robert J. Kutak Library, request materials, and take resources home to their jurisdictions. Each participant also left the training center with a resource disk that included numerous items from NIC’s electronic documents collection.

The participants enjoyed the new training environment, which was designed to provide them with a memorable learning experience. They all worked hard, enjoyed the networking, and benefited immensely from the expertise of the professional trainers.

By the end of the program on Friday, the participants had learned new skills and made new friends, whether it was in class or after the training sessions. Everyone left the NCA refreshed and committed to returning to their jurisdiction to further develop their newly acquired skills.

Jail Administration

NIC conducts a training program on key elements in jail administration for jails nationwide. There is a consistently high demand for this program, and in FY 2011 NIC delivered this program six times: twice at the National Corrections Academy for jail administrators from across the country and four times in specific states, including New Mexico, Oklahoma, Michigan, and Kentucky.

Participants rated all programs highly. Comments included the following:

- “I’ve attended jail training for 24 years. This is one of the most comprehensive training [programs] I’ve attended.”
- “Great and essential course.”
- “Great program. This material will elevate the professional and executive knowledge of administrators...”
- “. . . a great learning experience with exceptional trainers.”
- “Critical to have this course.”
- “Information and materials covered are essential to my job and the overall operation of my facility.”

Jail Inspector Training Program

During FY 2011, NIC revised its jail inspector training curriculum to take account of the changes in case law affecting jail conditions and operations within the past decade. In addition, a considerable shift has occurred in determining who has assumed responsibility for managing jail standards and their inspections. A number of states have stepped back from their responsibilities, and state sheriffs’ associations have stepped up to fill the void.

NIC relied on input from subject-matter experts and practitioners to make the updated curriculum more responsive to adult learning principles and contemporary issues. Pilot tested this year with a diverse audience of inspectors (e.g., geographically, organizationally, and at varying levels of responsibility), the revised curriculum will be finalized in FY 2012. NIC will use the curriculum in the future and will make the materials available to states.

A sample of comments provided to NIC from the jail inspector pilot training program included the following:

- “Overall, the course is very helpful and will only get better. Once again the trainers went above and beyond to provide information and [have] teamwork with the trainees.”
- “All information was relevant...would have liked to spend more time on reading and understanding blueprints. The practical inspection exercise was very good and informative.”
- “Awesome training! I will take so much back to my jail administrators. I hope to utilize a lot for myself.”

National Sheriffs’ Institute

The NIC Jails Division, in partnership with the National Sheriffs’ Association (NSA), conducts the National Sheriffs’ Institute (NSI) twice yearly. NSI is the only leadership development program in the nation designed specifically for first-term sheriffs. NIC is strongly committed to NSI and its partnership with NSA because most of the nation’s jails are under the authority of locally elected sheriffs and benefit directly when the sheriff is an effective leader.

NSI consistently receives highly positive ratings from the sheriffs who attend, and the programs conducted in FY 2011 were no exception. Examples include the following:

- “The staff and instructors did an outstanding job—they knew the material and did a fabulous job reinforcing the lessons. I was honored to attend and get to know the NSA/NIC staff, advisors, instructors, and my fellow sheriffs.”
- “I plan to use the concepts taught almost immediately.”
- “... would highly recommend this to any executive.”

For each NSI, NIC conducts a 3-month followup evaluation. As part of the evaluation, sheriffs must rate the value of the NSI to their work as leaders. NIC completed one followup evaluation in FY 2011 and found that 87 percent of the sheriffs “agreed” or “strongly agreed” with the following statements:

- “The NSI provided me with the skills necessary to meet the leadership challenges I face as sheriff in my organization and community.”
- “Attending the NSI helped me accomplish needed changes in my organization.”
- “The NSI covered the primary knowledge and skills a new sheriff needs to carry out his/her leadership role.”
- “I would recommend the NSI to other new sheriffs.”

Orientation for Parole Board Members: Integrating Evidence-Based Principles Into Parole Board Practices

One of NIC’s newest parole-focused courses, Orientation for Parole Board Members: Integrating Evidence-Based Principles Into Parole Board Practices empowers parole board members to make informed parole decisions through recognized principles and objective guidelines that promote public safety and successful reentry. This 40-hour blended-learning training (VILT combined with face-to-face training) was first offered in July 2011 in Aurora, CO. More than 25 participants registered for this training. Because of the success of this training in FY 2011, NIC will begin offering the course twice a year.

Orientation for New Parole Board Chairs: Leading the Parole Authority

The second of NIC’s new parole-focused courses addresses the needs of the newest leadership members of a parole board. Orientation for New Parole Board Chairs: Leading the Parole Authority is a 40-hour blended-learning training designed to enable parole board chairs to acquire the knowledge and skills they need to lead the efforts of their board and to foster successful reentry through the use of research-driven, evidence-based practices. Following the conclusion of the training, NIC provides participants with technical assistance throughout the year to help them implement specific, identified changes in their paroling agencies. The training guides participants from classroom instruction to implementation.

NIC first offered this course in September 2011 in Washington, DC, with participants from around the country. As a result of the training, NIC will deliver comprehensive technical assistance to six paroling authorities to help them implement very specific projects, including the identification and implementation of a sex offender risk assessment tool for one parole board and working to reduce redundancy in parole board case management processing for another.

Orientation for Parole Executives

Initiated in April 2011 and under current development is NIC’s Orientation for Parole Executives. The course will expand the knowledge and skills of parole board executives to develop evidence-informed corrections policy with state executive staff and build collaborative partnerships with state departments of corrections that support successful reentry. At the conclusion of the training, participants will identify their state departments of corrections partners and initiate a collaborative project to work on. NIC will assist them through technical assistance. The first pilot of the training is planned for February 2012.

All Directors Training

In partnership with the Association of State Correctional Administrators, NIC’s All Directors Training was conducted in December 2010 in San Francisco, CA, and three New Directors Training programs were held in March 2011, June 2011, and September 2011.

... I participated in the New Warden training in Oklahoma City several years ago with a group from Connecticut DOC. We were asked to state a goal we wished to accomplish after leaving the training and my goal was to complete my Master’s Degree. Well . . . I will graduate in May with a Master’s in Criminal Justice and wanted to send a shout out to you with thanks for all you gave us at the training. It was a great pleasure and I know you are still impacting the lives of many more people to make hard choices and improve where they can.

—Michele Pidgeon, participant, Correctional Leadership for Women training programAugust 6, 2011

Executive Training for New Wardens

Three Executive Training for New Wardens sessions were held in FY 2011: October 2010, April 2011, and July 2011. Due to the high demand for NIC training, the July session was added outside of the regular NIC training schedule.

Operational Practices in Women’s Prisons

Operational Practices in Women’s Prisons was conducted in April 2011. Connecticut hosted the training program and welcomed participants from the Bureau of Prisons and from New York, Rhode Island, and Vermont. In July 2011, the training was conducted in Colorado with participants from Alabama, Arkansas, Mississippi, New Jersey, and North Carolina.

Partnering for Performance

Partnering for Performance was held with the Nebraska Department of Correctional Services. Participants included women from various correctional entities (jails, parole, and prisons) in Nebraska.

Conducting Security Audits

The Conducting Security Audits program was held in March 2011 at the Florida Department of Corrections, in June 2011 at the Nebraska Department of Correctional Services, and in September 2011 at the Washington Department of Corrections. September training included teams from the U.S. military.

Strategic Development of Women Correctional Executives

Strategic Development of Women Correctional Executives was conducted in September 2011. The training helps women executives enhance their leadership skills, using their unique perspectives and the positions that they hold in their agencies.

Executive Excellence

Starting in FY 2011, phase 2 of the Executive Excellence training program is virtual. Whereas in the past, the training comprised three face-to-face learning sessions, it now comprises six sessions using virtual technology. WebEx hosts the training’s phased assignments. Class 15 is currently in progress and will graduate in January 2012.

The Changing Face of Participation With the NIC Academy
| Type of Training/Type of Academy Project           | Number of Participants |
|----------------------------------------------------|------------------------|
| Training Programs Held in Aurora, CO               | 121                    |
| Training Programs Held Offsite and as Partnerships | 516                    |
| Regional Training Initiative (RTI) Events          | 556                    |
| Technical Assistance Training Events               | 455                    |
| Conference Workshops                               | 200                    |
| 3-Hour Satellite/Internet Broadcasts               | 45,000                 |
| Virtual Instructor Led Training                    | 467                    |
| **Total**                                          | **47,315**             |

Management Development for the Future

In FY 2011, NIC partnered with five correctional agencies (West Virginia Division of Corrections, Montana Department of Corrections, Lafayette Parish (LA) Sheriff’s Department, Alabama Department of Corrections, and Iowa Department of Corrections) for various phases of the blended Management Development for the Future series. Five sessions of the series were completed by September 30, 2011.

Captains’ Leadership Curriculum: Areas of Challenge

The Captains’ Leadership Curriculum: Areas of Challenge is a highlight of NIC’s commitment to providing fiscally responsible training to the corrections field. In FY 2011, NIC updated the curriculum for the Bureau of Prisons (BOP) and, with only $3,000, was able to train 99 BOP captains. The sessions included positional and leadership competency-based courses that focused on teaching BOP captains how to develop a blueprint for their individual leadership development, which would be based on two assessments, multiple assignments, facilitated sessions, and intersession activities.

I would encourage all agencies to attend this program. I am excited to return and begin the process and apply the many things I was taught.

—Anonymous, regarding Inmate Behavior Management course

Inmate Behavior Management

Managing inmates is the core function of a jail, yet many jails perform poorly in this area, as evidenced by the high levels of problem inmate behavior prevalent in many jails. Traditionally, most jails focused on physically containing inmates—with the use of locks, steel doors, security glass, and alarm systems—but failed to supervise inmates, essentially leaving them to their own devices. This has resulted in the violence, vandalism, and unsanitary conditions that have been so common in jails. Many jail practitioners (and their communities) have come to believe that these problems are simply inherent to jails.

Building on previous work by NIC on inmate classification, inmate supervision, and direct supervision jails, NIC has identified six key elements in managing inmate behavior:

Great concept—allows for positive interactions between staff and inmates.

—Anonymous, regarding Inmate Behavior Management course

- Assessing the risks and needs each inmate presents.
- Assigning inmates to appropriate housing.
- Meeting basic inmate needs.
- Setting and conveying expectations for inmate behavior.
- Supervising inmates.
- Keeping inmates productively occupied.

These elements, implemented together, form an integrated system of managing inmates that is designed to reduce all types and levels of problem inmate behavior, leading to a much safer and more secure jail. For several years, NIC has been conducting training programs for local jails on this approach to managing inmate behavior. In FY 2011, several jails that implemented these elements reported a reduction in problem inmate behaviors, improved staff morale, more professional relationships between staff and inmates, and improved safety and security for inmates, staff, and visitors.

Participants in the FY 2011 programs agreed or strongly agreed that the training was relevant to their organization (88 percent), that they learned new information (94 percent), and that they felt they could implement lessons learned in their agency (80 percent).

Crisis Intervention Teams

Crisis intervention teams (CITs) are the emergency response and crisis management arm of a correctional facility. In December 2010, NIC offered its first quarterly training for facilities across the nation on the development and maintenance of these teams. As of the July 2011 training, 11 jail systems and 8 three-person teams from state departments of corrections participated. The CIT model uses a team approach and engages community stakeholders, local mental health agencies, family advocacy groups, and others in a collaborative and responsive effort to manage and support corrections-involved persons with mental illness.

Regional Training

FY 2011 marks the 23rd year of NIC’s Regional Training Initiative, which focuses on delivering training programs and resources to tribal, state, and local agencies based on regional needs. These occur in addition to the usual trainings that NIC offers around the country. Regional demand has been high for particular NIC programs, including:

- Essential Skills for New Supervisors, a program created by NIC and regional field coordinators in 2010.
- Security Threat Group: Training for Trainers.
- The Mindful Supervisor.

Curricula revised by the Regional Training Initiative in FY 2011 include Social Media for Corrections Professionals.

Publications

NIC uses its publications, website, and multimedia to fill the need for training and information not covered through its other offerings. Below is a partial list of publications that NIC released in FY 2011:

*Transition From Prison to the Community Model*

*Greening of Corrections*

*Jail Design Guide*

*Assessing Local Pretrial Justice Functions*

*Special Challenges Facing Parole*

*Paroling Authorities’ Strategic Planning and Management for Results*

*The Future of Parole as a Key Partner in Assuring Public Safety*

*Evidence-Based Policy, Practice, and Decisionmaking: Implications for Paroling Authorities*

Continuing To Supply the Field With Information Resources

Central to the National Institute of Corrections’ (NIC’s) mission is providing corrections leaders and staff with information to improve and support their operations. Elected officials, researchers, lawyers, and the general public have also come to rely on NIC for corrections resources that are hard to find anyplace else. NIC’s comprehensive permanent library collection includes corrections periodicals, reference materials, curricula, and archives submitted by state, local, and federal agencies for edification of the public.

Your researcher was the only one of many we contacted who had relevant information. It was extremely helpful.

—Visitor, NIC Online Help DeskJuly 19, 2011

Your response was prompt and efficient and your service was reliable. I am looking forward to explore your website more often to seek information needed for my job in the correctional field. Thank you.

—Visitor, NIC Online Help DeskJuly 5, 2011

In fiscal year (FY) 2011, NIC began coalescing many of its Prison Rape Elimination Act (PREA) resources into a single area on its website as well as maintaining its collections and conducting the research response operations handled by the NIC Information Center.

It was great to have the opportunity to review the aisles and aisles of information. What a valuable resource that more people should use to gain information.

—Visitor, Robert J. Kutak LibraryJuly 28, 2011

Prison Rape Elimination Act Resources

NIC’s PREA collection includes many examples of training programs, policies, and documents provided by agencies across the country. This array of materials has assisted many jurisdictions in developing policies and programs that are tailored to their individual needs. NIC continues to provide support for the implementation of PREA through its training programs and other products in cooperation with the National PREA Resource Center.

Information Center

The NIC Information Center is the dedicated information science and collections arm of the agency. It manages the nearly 20,000 documents that currently comprise the NIC library system. These documents are housed both online and in the Robert J. Kutak Library in the National Corrections Academy in Aurora, CO. Nearly 15 percent of NIC’s documents are online. Resources that cannot be accessed online can be obtained in most cases by connecting with a librarian.

NIC’s Ask a Librarian service helps facilitate remote access to NIC’s resources and materials. NIC librarians are equipped with unique training in working with corrections references and can meet the reference needs of the corrections field. NIC’s Information Center has a 97-percent customer approval rating.

| Dedication of the National Corrections Academy | Dedication of the National Corrections Academy

On June 28, 2011, the National Corrections Academy (NCA) held a dedication ceremony to commemorate the opening of its new training academy at the recently completed Cornell Avenue location in Aurora, CO. Acting Bureau of Prisons Director Thomas R. Kane; Assistant Director Kim M. White, Human Resource Management Division; Director Morris Thigpen, National Institute of Corrections (NIC); and other NIC officials were on hand to cut the ribbon, officially opening the academy for training. Nearly 300 students were also present for the ceremony.

The new NCA facility boasts several new instructional technologies, including an on-demand video server and video teleconferencing capability in each classroom. Although it is the same size as NCA’s former location, the new facility offers greatly increased training room capacity, nearly doubling the total seating and training space found in the previous facility.   |
|------------------------------------------------|-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|

Technical Assistance

Fiscal year (FY) 2011 was a banner year for technical assistance requests to the National Institute of Corrections (NIC) (see figure 3). The NIC Jails Division trained 892 individuals. Some training events were small, such as the session on How to Open a New Jail, which was held for eight participants in a single agency; others were large, like the 8-hour Legal Update training held at the American Jail Association annual meeting, which reached 238 participants from multiple agencies.

Some of the most requested technical assistance programs included:

- Thinking for a Change facilitator training course.
- Leadership capacity building requests.
- Prison Rape Elimination Act assistance.

Technical Assistance Snapshot: Culture Training Development

The National Institute of Corrections has partnered with the Indiana Department of Corrections to improve its institutional culture. The ongoing project focuses on two major components. The first component is leadership development through the use of staff training and seminars that will help organizations develop current leaders and build processes for incorporating culture into everyday work practices. These measures will help ensure that the cultural changes that organizations adopt today will be sustained throughout the future. The second component is enhancing the Indiana Justice Model to help improve staff and offender relations and reduce violence. The Indiana Department of Corrections will develop training curricula and policies to introduce and reinforce behaviors for offenders and staff as outlined in the agency rules of behavior and vision and mission.

NIC News

From all available news reports, the National Institute of Corrections’ (NIC’s) role as a technical assistance provider was the most widely reported aspect of NIC assistance to the field.

We have focused on accountability, follow-through, and communication, with the ultimate goal [being] to [become] a high performing organization. ... I am so appreciative to have this opportunity and grateful for the NIC funding. ... I plan to share the progress and results of our work with other Indiana County Directors. It is a bit intimidating to share our weaknesses, but [it] would be an injustice to not help others learn and grow. ... Thanks so much for your assistance...

—Kellie J. Bittorf, Executive Director, Lake County Community Correctionsrecipient of technical assistance for high-performing community corrections divisions

Figure 3. Technical Assistance Requests by State, FY 2011
| State/Territory         | Number of Requests |
|-------------------------|--------------------|
| Alabama AL              | 0                  |
| Alaska AK               | 1                  |
| Arkansas AR             | 0                  |
| Arizona AZ              | 8                  |
| California CA           | 8                  |
| Colorado CO             | 8                  |
| Connecticut CT          | 3                  |
| Delaware DE             | 1                  |
| District of Columbia DC | 13                 |
| Florida FL              | 4                  |
| Georgia GA              | 3                  |
| Hawaii HI               | 0                  |
| Idaho ID                | 3                  |
| Illinois IL             | 6                  |
| Indiana IN              | 6                  |
| Iowa IA                 | 10                 |
| Kansas KS               | 6                  |
| Kentucky KY             | 1                  |
| Louisiana LA            | 0                  |
| Maine ME                | 6                  |
| Maryland MD             | 7                  |
| Massachusetts MA        | 4                  |
| Michigan MI             | 7                  |
| Minnesota MN            | 2                  |
| Mississippi MS          | 3                  |
| Missouri MO             | 3                  |
| Montana MT              | 1                  |
| Nebraska NE             | 2                  |
| Nevada NV               | 3                  |
| New Hampshire NH        | 3                  |
| New Jersey NJ           | 2                  |
| New Mexico NM           | 0                  |
| New York NY             | 9                  |
| North Carolina NC       | 0                  |
| North Dakota ND         | 1                  |
| Ohio OH                 | 4                  |
| Oklahoma OK             | 2                  |
| Oregon OR               | 3                  |
| Pennsylvania PA         | 1                  |
| Rhode Island RI         | 1                  |
| South Carolina SC       | 3                  |
| South Dakota SD         | 2                  |
| Tennessee TN            | 5                  |
| Texas TX                | 3                  |
| Utah UT                 | 0                  |
| Vermont VT              | 0                  |
| Virginia VA             | 13                 |
| Virgin Islands VI       | 1                  |
| Washington WA           | 5                  |
| West Virginia WV        | 3                  |
| Wisconsin WI            | 11                 |
| Wyoming WY              | 1                  |
| Canada                  | 1                  |

Appendix

NIC Directory

Morris Thigpen, Director, mthigpen@bop.gov, 202–514–4202

Thomas Beauclair, Deputy Director, tbeauclair@bop.gov, 202–514–4254

Robert Brown, Chief, Academy Division, rbrown@bop.gov, 303–338–6610

Jim Cosby, Chief, Community Services Division, jcosby@bop.gov, 202–353–4213

Harry Fenstermaker, Chief, Financial Management Division, hfenstermaker@bop.gov, 202–307–6687

Virginia Hutchinson, Chief, Jails Division, vhutchinson@bop.gov, 202–307–5811

Christopher Innes, Chief, Research and Information Services Division, cinnes@bop.gov, 202–514–0098

Shaina Vanek, Executive Assistant, Administration Division, svanek@bop.gov, 202–514–4222

BeLinda Watson, Chief, Prisons Division, bpwatson@bop.gov, 202–353–0483

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