U.S. Department of Justice 

National Institute of Corrections 
U.S. Department of Justice 

National Institute of Corrections 

320 First Street, NW 

Washington, DC 20534 

Morris L. Thigpen 

Director 

Thomas J. Beauclair 

Deputy Director 

Christopher Innes 

Chief, Research and 


Information Services Division
 

Donna Ledbetter 

Project Manager 

National Institute of Corrections 

www.nicic.gov 
June 2011 

NIC Accession 

Number 024837 

Contents 

Message From the Director.......................................................................................v 

Message From the Advisory Board of the 

National Institute of Corrections............................................................................. vii 

What Is the National Institute of Corrections? .........................................................1 

Mission Statement ..................................................................................................1 

Strategic Outcomes.................................................................................................1 

The NIC Organization ............................................................................................2 

What Is the NIC Information Center? .......................................................................4 

Ask a Librarian .......................................................................................................4 

Online Library ........................................................................................................4 

The NIC Website and Corrections Community Social Network ...........................4 

Robert J. Kutak Memorial Library .........................................................................5 

How Does NIC Help Meet the Challenge of Newly Released Offenders? .............5 

What Does NIC Do in Your District?...........................................................................7 

Regional Training Initiative..................................................................................11 

How Does NIC Address the Needs of Elected Officials and Corrections 

Executives Who Work Directly With Inmates and Offenders?................................12 

How Is NIC Involved in Evidence-Based Practices?...............................................15 

How Does NIC Address Other Contemporary Issues in Corrections? ..................15 

Green Corrections.................................................................................................16 

Jail Administration................................................................................................16 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

iii
 

Message From the Director 

T

he National Institute of Corrections (NIC) is an important resource for 

corrections professionals, lawmakers, and criminal justice policymakers 

alike.To meet the needs of such a diverse constituency, NIC offers a 

broad array of programs, from technical assistance and information services 

to training and professional development via online, satellite, and classroom 

instruction. 

In this report, NIC is pleased to highlight its success in meeting constituent 

needs during fiscal year 2010. We responded to a number of requests for technical assistance, revived the NIC Office of Public Health, and migrated many 

of our print publications into a fully online format. We have also developed 

and nurtured an increasing number of partnerships with industry stakeholders, 

which we hope will enhance our ability to meet the needs of the ever-changing 

and exciting field of corrections. 

Rather than operating in a vacuum, NIC commits itself to sharing ideas and 

contributing to the success of individuals and jurisdictions in the criminal justice field. In these pages, you will find evidence of NIC’s collaborative model of 

getting things done, a model that focuses on teamwork and trust, and foreshadows the positive changes in corrections now slowly taking shape nationwide. 

With this document, NIC also wishes to formally welcome its new deputy 

director, Tom Beauclair, and the NIC advisory board to the NIC team. Tom 

Beauclair has been with us for quite some time, but the issuance of this report 

is a wonderful opportunity to announce it to a broader audience. Our advisory 

board comprises many familiar faces, and a few new ones, too. We are confident 

in their ability to provide supportive leadership that promises to help fulfill the 

NIC mission. 

Because this Report to the Nation can highlight only a few of our many accomplishments, we encourage you to look through its pages and follow up your 

viewing with a visit to our website at www.nicic.gov. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

v
 
We are pleased to present you with a summary of our progress in fiscal year 

2010, and we look forward to sharing with you many more of the accomplishments we have planned ahead. 

Morris L. Thigpen 

Director 

National Institute of Corrections 

 

 

 

 

 

vi National Institute of Corrections Report to the Nation FY 2010 
Message From the Advisory Board of 

the National Institute of Corrections 

Each year, the National Institute of Corrections (NIC) meets the needs of 

corrections practitioners, legislators, and community partners all across 

the nation, from the smallest towns and boroughs to the largest cities. 

With the completion of fiscal year (FY) 2010, NIC demonstrated once more 

its importance to the field and its involvement in shaping policy and dialogue 

about corrections. NIC’s advisory board invites you to learn more about the 

many programs and ongoing initiatives at NIC, which are highlighted herein. 

Of particular note are the many initiatives addressing the problems of managing specialized populations in correctional institutions. Although these groups 

account for only a small percentage of any inmate population, meeting both 

their needs and legislative mandates for equal treatment pose particular challenges for many institutions. NIC has equipped the field with much-needed 

training and resources to confront those challenges. 

NIC has also laid the foundation for innovative work in pretrial services and 

reentry. Extending its groundbreaking work on applying evidence-based 

practice to the field of corrections, NIC is now instrumental in supporting 

the development of standards, training, and advocacy in these areas. 

As the new incoming advisory board, we cordially invite you to learn more 

about NIC, its involvement in your district, and the innovation it consistently 

brings to the field of corrections. With this first issue of NIC’s Report to the 

Nation, you are encouraged to share it with others and reach out to us, Director Morris Thigpen, and the staff at NIC for more information. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

vii
 
B. Diane Williams, Chair 

President 

The Safer Foundation 

Chicago, IL 

Max Williams, Vice Chair 

Director 

Oregon Department of Corrections 

Norman A. Carlson 

Chisago City, MN 

Stanley D. Glanz 

Sheriff 

Tulsa County 

Tulsa, OK 

James B. Jacobs 

Professor 

New York University School of Law 

Harley G. Lappin 

Director 

Federal Bureau of Prisons 

U.S. Department of Justice 

Washington, DC 

Gary L. Raney 

Sheriff 

Ada County, ID 

Laurie Robinson 

Assistant Attorney General 

Office of Justice Programs 

U.S. Department of Justice 

Washington, DC 

Judge Barbara J. Rothstein 

Director 

Federal Judicial Center 

Washington, DC 

Chief Judge William K. Sessions 

U.S. Sentencing Commission 

Washington, DC 

Membership of the Advisory Board of the 

National Institute of Corrections 

Anne K. Seymour 

Victim Advocate 

Washington, DC 

Susan Weld Shaffer 

Director 

District of Columbia Pretrial Services 

Jeff Slowikowski 

Acting Administrator 

Office of Juvenile Justice and 

Delinquency Prevention 

U.S. Department of Justice 

Washington, DC 

Arthur M. Wallenstein 

Director 

Montgomery County (Maryland) 

Department of Correction and 

Rehabilitation 

Reginald A. Wilkinson, Ed.D. 

Director 

Ohio College Access Network 

Columbus, OH 

Designees 

Mr. James H. Burch, II 

(Designee for Laurie Robinson) 

Acting Director 

Bureau of Justice Assistance 

James Eaglin 

(Designee for Barbara J. Rothstein) 

Director, Research Division 

Federal Judicial Center 

Ketanji Brown Jackson 

(Designee for Chief Judge William K. 

Sessions) 

Vice Chair 

U.S. Sentencing Commission 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

viii National Institute of Corrections Report to the Nation FY 2010 
 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

What Is the National Institute of Corrections? 1

What Is the National Institute 

of Corrections? 

T

he National Institute of Corrections (NIC) is an agency of the Federal 

Bureau of Prisons under the U.S. Department of Justice. As established 

by enabling legislation (Public Law 93–415), the U.S. Attorney General 

appoints both a director to head the institute and a 14-member advisory board 

that offers corrections policy direction. 

NIC provides training, technical assistance, information services, and policy/ 

program development assistance to federal, state, and local corrections agencies. Through cooperative agreements, NIC awards funds to support corrections program initiatives. 

NIC also provides leadership to influence correctional policies, practices, 

and operations nationwide in areas of emerging interest and concern to 

correctional executives, corrections practitioners, and public policymakers. 

Mission Statement 

The National Institute of Corrections is a center of learning, innovation, 

and leadership that shapes and advances effective correctional practice and 

public policy. 

Strategic Outcomes 

NIC’s activities contribute significantly to the achievement of federal, state, 

and local correctional goals and priorities. 

Goals and Priorities NIC provides... 

Effectively managed prisons, jails, and community corrections programs and facilities. ...planning, management, and operations strategies that support programs 

and facilities that are constitutional, ethical, safe, and cost-effective. 

Enhanced organizational and professional ...education and training in management, leadership, and specialized areas 

performance in corrections. of corrections based on value-centered principles and best practices. 

Community, staff, and offender safety. ...support for the use of correctional practices and procedures that reduce 

recidivism and hold offenders accountable. 

Improved correctional practices through the ...support for the research and study of corrections and the shaping of 

exploration of trends and public policy issues. public policies that improve corrections practice. 

Enhanced services through improved organizational and staff effectiveness. ...opportunities for organizational and professional growth through its extensive array of training programs and educational offerings. 
The NIC Organization 

Agency Divisions 

Each division at NIC represents and serves a primary constituency, from 

practitioners and consultants working in adult corrections to administrators 

of transition and reentry programs. These divisions offer tailored training, 

research, and education that address the needs of federal, state, and local 

corrections. They also provide the field with information on best practices and 

support the application of evidence-based research. 

The Academy Division coordinates a number of NIC’s training activities 

for practitioners working in state and local adult corrections throughout the 

United States and its commonwealths and territories. It also provides training 

for juvenile justice, the federal prison system, and military corrections through 

interagency agreements. The division offers training programs in correctional 

leadership and management, offender management, and training for trainers. 

The Administration Division includes support staff and broad-level corrections 

initiatives whose work spans across division lines. These initiatives address 

the perils affecting women offenders, mental health in corrections, corrections 

culture, and high-performing organizations. 

The Community Corrections Division offers a variety of programs, including 

technical assistance and specialized training related to probation, parole, and 

other forms of community-based corrections. The division sponsors publications and materials on topics of interest to community corrections practitioners, and it coordinates an interdisciplinary effort to assist jurisdictions in 

developing a more rational, cost-effective, and coordinated system of 

criminal justice sanctions and punishments. 

The Jails Division supports jail officials in their efforts to improve detention 

services for their communities. The division provides technical assistance, training, and information resources on jail administration, management of inmate 

behavior, new jail planning, and jail standards and inspection. The Jails Division, in partnership with the National Sheriffs’ Association, also conducts the 

National Sheriffs’ Institute, which is the only executive development program 

designed exclusively for the nation’s first-term sheriffs. Division staff are former jail practitioners who have hands-on experience with jail issues in large, 

medium, and small agency settings. 

The Community Services Division was created through the Violent Crime 

Control and Law Enforcement Act of 1994 to encourage, support, and advance 

job training and job placement programs that provide services to offenders 

and ex-offenders. The division operates under a congressional mandate as 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

2 National Institute of Corrections Report to the Nation FY 2010 
defined in P.L. 103–322, Section 20418. The mandate requires that the division 

coordinate with the Department of Labor, Department of Justice, and other 

federal agencies; provide training to develop staff competencies; provide technical assistance; and collect and disseminate information about offender job 

training and placement programs, accomplishments, and results. 

The Prisons Division provides the only national training programs for new 

wardens, directors of corrections, and deputy directors in the country. It also 

assists jurisdictions in developing more rational, cost-effective, and coordinated 

systems of criminal justice sanctions and punishments. The division provides 

assessment and validation of classification systems in prisons and sponsors 

publications, specialized training, and technical assistance on topics of interest 

to prison practitioners. 

The Research and Information Services Division serves NIC in two primary 

ways. First, through selected projects, it assists corrections practitioners in 

designing and implementing research and evaluation strategies. It helps corrections agencies connect relevant research to their day-to-day operations. 

Second, it helps build a model of evaluation strategies that NIC can apply to 

its own projects, initiatives, training, and technical assistance. Combined with 

information from various needs assessment strategies, the findings from both 

these efforts guide NIC’s decisionmaking about how best to serve the field, 

thus making it possible for NIC to target and disperse resources quickly and 

efficiently to the agencies and areas where they will have the greatest effect. 

Research and Information Services Division 

Financial Management Division 

Administration (Personnel and Operations) 

Prisons Division 

NIC Information Center (Contract Provider) 

Academy Division 

Community Corrections Division 

Jails Division 

Transition and Offender Workforce Developemnt Division 

NIC Advisory Board Director, Federal Bureau of Prisons 

U.S. Attorney General 

NIC Director 

NIC Deputy Director 

NatIoNal INstItute of CorreCtIoNs orGaNIzatIoN aNd servICes 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

What Is the National Institute of Corrections? 3
What Is the NIC Information 

Center? 

T

he Information Center assists correctional 

policymakers, practitioners, elected officials, 

and others interested in corrections by 

providing research assistance and access to 

NIC’s full corrections library. Specialists are 

on hand to assist with locating and, in many 

cases, obtaining copies of information at no 

charge to the requestor. The Information 

Center also manages the NIC website and the 

NIC Corrections Community social networking site. 

Ask a Librarian 

NIC’s Information Center services include the capacity to provide personal 

responses to requests for corrections information. In fiscal year (FY) 2010, the 

Information Center accommodated requests for information from nearly 4,000 

individuals and agencies. In addition, it fulfilled an estimated 2,800 orders for 

printed documents and distributed over 10,000 copies of videos and electronic 

training programs in that same time period. 

Online Library 

In addition to providing constituents with resources via customized research 

assistance, the NIC Information Center makes electronic copies of documents 

available to the public via the NIC website. Nearly 30 percent of NIC’s 22,800 

cataloged documents, books, videos, and other corrections-related materials 

were available online in FY 2010. The remaining items in the collection were 

either protected by copyright, available only in hard copy, or of such a sensitive 

nature that posting on the NIC website would not be appropriate. 

The NIC Website and Corrections Community 

Social Network 

The NIC website received nearly 746,000 visitors in FY 2010. An additional 

227,000 visitors spent time on the NIC Corrections Community, a social networking site from NIC that provides communities and corrections practitioners with the opportunity to share information and ideas in an online setting. 

The Information Center 

catalogs and houses 

unique corrections-related 

documents, training material, and videos. It provides 

research assistance to 

corrections professionals 

and disseminates information through clearinghouse 

services and NIC’s website. 

—NIC Information Center 

Librarian 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

4 National Institute of Corrections Report to the Nation FY 2010 
Combined, NIC’s online visitors spent the equivalent of 

1,800 days accessing, viewing, and interacting with the 

NIC website and Corrections Community. There are 

over 11,600 members in the Corrections Community’s 

private and public discussion forums. These members 

have contributed to approximately 12,000 discussions 

since July 2007. 

Robert J. Kutak Memorial Library 

The National Institute of Corrections holds items not available for viewing 

online in a brick-and-mortar building housing the Robert J. Kutak Memorial 

Library. It is estimated that in FY 2010, the space received nearly 300 visitors. 

How Does NIC Help Meet the 

Challenge of Newly Released 

Offenders? 

When offenders come home, they are ideally met by 

supportive family and friends. They have a place 

to call home, access to education, and a stable 

occupation. For those who need them, counseling 

and substance abuse treatment are available. However, the 

reality is that supports and programs like these are often 

inaccessible or unavailable for most offenders. More 

commonly, offenders are released from correctional 

supervision without positive social networks — such as 

supportive friends and family — in place and without basic 

needs such as shelter, treatment, and education that support a lifestyle 

free of the negative behaviors and economic instabilities that initially led 

offenders to commit crimes. 

Without positive social networks in place, offenders run the risk of repeating 

their crimes. For communities, that means a revolving door of criminal activity. 

An offender comes home, finds that nothing in his/her life has changed, and 

returns to criminal activities to meet his/her needs. Society can no longer afford 

to provide treatment as an afterthought. Public safety requires that the criminal justice field become proactive in its interventions and begin focusing on 

inmate programming that successfully addresses offenders’ criminogenic risks. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

How Does NIC Help Meet the Challenge of Newly Released Offenders? 5
The National Institute of Corrections helps the nation meet the challenges of 

working with newly released offenders and those who will soon be released by 

making relevant programming and training available to those who work with 

offenders the most. Highlights from FY 2010 include the following: 

• NIC publishes Core Competencies: A Resource for Parole Board Chairs, 

Members, and Executive Staff. It is the first in a series of five publications 

that establishes a framework from which parole board members might improve their decisionmaking with regard to parole conditions and the timing 

of release of offenders. It also provides resources for appointing authorities 

who select the members of parole boards. 

• NIC launches the Transition from Prison to the Community model, a strategy that goes beyond addressing offenders just at the point of reentry and 

instead takes a longer term approach focused on risk/needs assessment, 

evidence-based practices, and community partnerships. 

• NIC trains nearly 12 percent of its instructor-led training participants in 

either the Offender Workforce Development Specialist Training or the Offender Workforce Development Specialist Partnership Training, two NIC 

courses whose objective is to teach correctional staff how to: 

❍ Work with offenders in helping them gain employment upon release. 

❍ Reach out to community partners who can aid in their efforts. 

• NIC’s multiyear Correctional Industries Initiative sponsors the satellite/ 

Internet broadcast “Innovative Reentry Strategies: The Emerging Role 

of Correctional Industries,” focusing on the growing role of correctional 

industries in the reentry process and highlighting evidence-based practices 

and best and promising correctional industries practices. 

• NIC partners with Correctional Industries to develop a competency-based 

training for correctional industries administrators that addresses the use of 

assessments, evidence-based practices, and risk reduction as applied to offender workforce development. The program focus is specifically targeted 

toward high-risk offenders. 

• NIC’s multiyear Employment Retention Initiative contributes to the advancement of effective policy and practices in the provision of employment 

services for targeted offenders having a high propensity for unstable work 

histories. 

Over the last few decades, 

state spending on corrections has risen faster than 

nearly any other budget 

item.Yet, at a cost of $60 

billion a year, our prisons 

and jails do little to prepare 

prisoners to get jobs and 

“go straight” after they’re 

released. People who have 

been incarcerated are 

often barred from housing, shunned by potential 

employers, and surrounded 

by others in similar circumstances.This is a recipe 

for high recidivism.And it’s 

the reason that two-thirds 

of those released are rearrested within three years. 

It’s time for a new approach. 

—Attorney General 

Eric Holder 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

6 National Institute of Corrections Report to the Nation FY 2010 
What Does NIC Do in Your District? 

NIC is instrumental in supporting the integrity of correctional operations across the nation. Jails, prisons, and community corrections of all 

sizes and in all locations across the United States consistently look to 

NIC for guidance in training, professional development, and technical assistance. NIC works directly with correctional officers, management, and legislators to address issues such as overcrowding, staff/inmate sexual assault, inmate 

suicide, and other issues that plague local criminal justice systems. 

Beyond technical assistance, which provides direct service to all NIC constituents, NIC also provides training that meets the immediate needs of corrections 

practitioners via their geographic area. The regions of the South, Northeast, 

West, and Central United States are each assigned their own dedicated NIC 

correctional program specialist through the NIC Academy Division. Other 

divisions provide training on a regional basis with host agencies, though in 

these cases, the regions are not predefined. In this way, NIC has the capacity to 

address core issues that require immediate attention in all 50 states while also 

addressing geographic needs that may not be critical in all areas. This assistance 

is formally called the Regional Training Initiative (RTI), and its purpose is to 

build networks across traditional boundaries among correctional agencies to 

facilitate the sharing of resources, information, and joint training efforts. Highlights from FY 2010 include the following: 

• NIC develops regional training in the West that addresses the area’s rampant gang violence problem. 

• In Nashville, TN, Las Vegas, NV, and Columbus, OH, NIC partners with the 

National Correctional Industries Association to offer the training program 

Workforce Development Regional Training: Enhancing Correctional Industries’ Role in Reentry. 

• NIC provides annual training at the Executive Forum for Deputy Directors 

and sponsors training for all directors and new directors through a cooperative agreement with the Association of State Correctional Administrators. 

Table 1 highlights the technical assistance projects that NIC completed in each 

state in FY 2010. Figure 1 illustrates these data on a map. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

What Does NIC Do in Your District? 7
 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

8 National Institute of Corrections Report to the Nation FY 2010 

table 1: teChNICal assIstaNCe by state, wIth samPle hIGhlIGhted ProjeCts 

total technical 


assistance
 

state requests sample highlighted Project
 

Alabama 1 Birmingham—Training for the NIC Thinking for a Change Curriculum 

Arizona 5 Tohono O’odham Nation Department of Public Safety—Jail reentry task force 

Arkansas 4 Little Rock—Evaluation and validation of current risk and needs assessment tools 

California 27 Sacramento—Mental health training 

Colorado 10 Larimer County—Implementation of the Women Offender Case Management Model, 

two-part training program 

Delaware 1 Dover—Delivery of the NIC Conducting a Security Audit program 

District of 

Columbia 

36 DC Court Services and Offender Supervision Agency—Coaching to assess gaps in 

evidence-based practice implementation efforts 

Florida 5 Tallahassee—Assistance in updating existing emergency plans to more closely mirror 

the Incident Command System 

Georgia 3 Camden County—Jail and justice system assessment 

Hawaii 3 Honolulu—Assist Department of Public Safety in its efforts to implement the NIC Transition from Prison to the Community model 

Illinois 6 Springfield—Evaluate critical incident procedures of the Pinckneyville Correctional 

Center 

Indiana 9 Crown Point—Review of medical services 

Iowa 8 Des Moines—Pilot implementation of the Gender-Responsive Management and Practices Assessment at the Iowa Correctional Facility for Women 

Kansas 9 Olathe—Evidence-based gap analysis and strategic planning 

Kentucky 5 Frankfort—Assess and amend violation matrix for validation 

Louisiana 5 Tallulah—Convert an adult male correctional facility to an adult female correctional 

facility 
 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

What Does NIC Do in Your District? 9

table 1: teChNICal assIstaNCe by state, wIth samPle hIGhlIGhted ProjeCts 

(continued) 

total technical 


assistance
 

state requests sample highlighted Project
 

Maine 1 Augusta—Pilot implementation of Gender Responsive Management and Practices 

assessment 

Maryland 13 Towson—Staffing analysis and policy development 

Massachusetts 5 Milford—Address increases in inmate suicide attempts and self-injurious behavior 

Michigan 12 Ann Arbor—Review of suicide procedures 

Minnesota 5 Stillwater—Training for supervisors: How to coach/mentor parole officers in evidencebased competencies 

Mississippi 5 Meridian—Mental health and diversion 

Missouri 9 Jefferson City—Efficacy of emergency plans and staff response 

Montana 6 Helena—Legal issues training 

Nebraska 5 North Platte—Transition training 

Nevada 2 Minden—HONI 

New Hampshire 4 Ossipee—Operational assessment 

New Jersey 8 Toms River—Direct supervision training 

New York 6 East Elmhurst—Inmate classification review 

North Carolina 4 Fayetteville—Jail expansion 

North Dakota 2 Bismarck—Support the delivery of training to build evaluation capacity 

Ohio 10 Columbus—NIC’s Thinking for a Change training for trainers 

Oklahoma 4 Enid—Inmate classification review 

Oregon 7 Salem—Assistance incorporating Prison Rape Elimination Act data elements into 

present classification system 

Pennsylvania 4 Camp Hill—Transition from Jail to the Community training 

South Carolina 2 Pickens—JJSA 

South Dakota 1 Pierre—Support the implementation of NIC’s Thinking for a Change model 
 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

1 

10 National Institute of Corrections Report to the Nation FY 2010 

table 1: teChNICal assIstaNCe by state, wIth samPle hIGhlIGhted ProjeCts 

(continued) 

total technical 


assistance
 

state requests sample highlighted Project
 

Tennessee 5 Jackson—Collaboration building among corrections, mental health providers, and 

others as well as developing Crisis Intervention Team response capacity 

Texas 9 San Antonio—Suicide assessment 

Vermont 1 Waterbury—Site visit 

Virgin Islands 2 Kingshill—Develop curriculum to provide train-the-trainer assistance 

Virginia 22 Charlottesville—Prison Rape Elimination Act training 

Washington 3 Olympia—Program design and outline for specialized training for Prison Rape 

Elimination Act investigators 

West Virginia 1 Charleston—NIC’s Thinking for a Change facilitator’s training 

Wisconsin 11 Wausau—Assistance and recommendations for improving jail and diversion programs 

fIGure 1: teChNICal assIstaNCe by state 

WA 

3 

MT 

6 ND 

2 

SD 

1 

MN 

5 

IA 

8 

MO 

9 

AR 

4 

LA 

5 

WI 

11 

IL 

6 

TN 5 

KY 

5 

IN 

9 

OH 

10 

PA 

4 

WV 

1 

MS 

5 

AL 

1 

GA 

3 

SC 

2 

NC 

4 

VA 

22 

FL 

5 

TX 

9 

AZ 

5 

CA 

27 

OR 

7 

NV 

2 

CO 

10 

HI 

3 

VI 

2 

NE 

5 

KS 

9 

OK 

4 

NY 

6 

NJ 8 

DE 1 

MD 13 

DC 36 

MA 5 

ME 1 

NH 

VT 4

MI 

12 
Regional Training Initiative 

NIC’s Regional Training Initiative functions as a national network, coordinated 

through four regions (Northeast, West, South, and Central), that enables NIC 

to support correctional training nationwide. Housed under the NIC Academy 

Division, the initiative relies on volunteer correctional trainers called Regional 

Field Coordinators who provide professional development, resource sharing, 

and networking opportunities to their peers in local, state, and federal correctional agencies throughout the nation. These volunteers hail from a variety of 

disciplines, including jails, prisons, and community corrections. 

Through its regional focus, NIC supports the delivery of corrections-related 

training and the development of training resources at a minimal cost to local 

and state governments. These cost-effective programs are based on regional 

needs and interest and provide a means of increasing training resources, 

training capacity, and information dissemination to the field. In addition, 

the initiative: 

• Provides relevant training based on regional needs and interests. 

• Promotes the sharing of information, training, and other resources across 

traditional boundaries among disciplines and agencies. 

• Increases the dissemination, use, and impact of correctional curriculum 

packages and training technologies developed by agencies throughout the 

country. 

• Maximizes the use of federal funding available for correctional training for 

prisons, jails, and community corrections agencies at the local, state, and 

federal levels. 

Regional Highlights 

Northeast 

Strategies for Team Building—Nineteen participants trained for the West 

Virginia Department of Corrections in Effective Communication Motivation 

Strategies, and another 25 trained for the New Jersey State Judiciary. The success of the New Jersey training resulted in an invitation for NIC to return to 

train remaining staff. 

South 

Essential Skills for New Supervisors—Approximately 30 participants trained 

for the Tulsa County Sheriff’s Office in Tulsa, OK, and 5 additional organizations in the area. 

This new 2009/2010 curriculum was developed to meet the need for training 

supervisors that appears to be largely unavailable in the field. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

What Does NIC Do in Your District? 11
South 

Foundation Skills for Trainers—Approximately 30 participants trained for the 

Tulsa County Sheriff’s Department in conjunction with 5 additional organizations. The training helped build capacity in the region for experienced trainers, 

thus filling a long-existing vacuum for persons who had no previous training. 

West 

Inside Mexican Drug Cartels—Special project conducted in Las Vegas, NV, 

Albuquerque, NM, Pueblo, CO, and Phoenix, AZ. This timely and highly 

successful training presentation attracted more than 1,300 participants from 

nearly 100 different agencies. The training sought to identify the major drug 

organizations in Mexico by customs and geography, describe the escalation 

of violence in Mexico and how it has moved into the United States based on 

the use and distribution of illegal drugs, and demonstrate how cartels operate 

across U.S. borders. 

Central 

Dealing with Stress in Corrections and Unleash Your Leadership Competency 

Potential for Supervisors—These are two new curricula developed by NIC 

with involvement from Central region participants. Both products include participant manuals, facilitator manuals, and supplemental materials, and are now 

available through the NIC library. Both courses were delivered multiple times 

during FY 2010. 

How Does NIC Address the Needs 

of Elected Officials and Corrections 

Executives Who Work Directly With 

Inmates and Offenders? 

NIC addresses the needs of corrections staff by providing specialized 

training to those who manage offenders and work on their behalf. As 

a microcosm of the world at large, corrections addresses the needs 

of inmates and offenders in the same manner that governments address individuals’ needs in the outside world. Processes are in place to ensure both the 

equitable treatment of all offenders and their successful completion of the time 

they were sentenced to serve. Incarceration does not wipe away the disparities 

in health care and childcare that women must face. It does not enable the disabled, who require modified tasks that general populations do not need. It does 

not restore youth to the aging, who have special needs that younger offenders 

A probation officer for the state 

of Nevada attended the two-day 

class [Inside Mexican Drug 

Cartels] in September in Las 

Vegas.The following morning 

he had an appointment with a 

client on probation for drug trafficking [that was] plead down 

to possession of a controlled 

substance with intent to sell. 

This charge is what qualified 

[the client] for probation.When 

he walked into the interview, he 

was wearing a shirt with two big 

white scorpions, [the significance of] which was covered 

in [the training].The probation 

officer then asked if he could 

see his client’s cell phone; 

he opened it and there was a 

screensaver of Jesus Malverde. 

[The participant’s fellow probation] officers then went out and 

searched [the client’s] truck and 

found numerous narco-corridos 

(drug folklore music), which is 

another topic covered in the 

class.With this information [the 

probation officers] followed procedures to search the house of 

the client... and found 8 grams 

of methamphetamine and 1 

gram of cocaine.When [the 

client] was tested [for drugs], he 

was found to have no narcotics 

in his system.Thus, [the client 

was sanctioned] for trafficking 

charges, and now he will go to 

prison for violating his probation. His defense to the judge 

cannot be that the drugs in his 

house were for his own use, due 

to his having no narcotics in his 

system. 

— Richard Geaither, 

Correctional Program 

Specialist for NIC 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

12 National Institute of Corrections Report to the Nation FY 2010 
do not have. Providing the field with training on how to work with 

these and other populations is a crucial part of NIC’s mission. 

Highlights from FY 2010 include the following: 

• NIC offers the field evidence-based, genderinformed risk management models that facilitate 

improved outcomes for women offenders. These 

include: 

❍ Two sets of women’s risk and needs 

assessments—the Missouri stand-alone 

women’s risk and needs assessment and 

another set of assessments created specifically 

for pretrial, prison, prerelease, and probation 

that are designed to accompany current thirdgeneration risk assessment tools such as the 

LSI–R and Northpointe COMPAS. 

❍ A Women Offender Case Management Model, which 

is a seamless, systemic case management process that 

follows women from incarceration to probation and throughout 

the criminal justice system to aftercare. 

❍ A facility version of a Gender Informed Practices Assessment, which 

is designed to facilitate both agency and facility efforts in developing 

sound gender-responsive policies and practices. Results from this assessment assist staff in the application of gender-responsive principles, 

improving the safety and welfare of women and reducing offender 

recidivism. 

• NIC launches Crisis Intervention Teams: A Frontline Response to Mental Illness in Corrections, a program that teaches corrections staff how to 

develop and implement crisis intervention teams. Crisis intervention teams 

help reduce the trauma of crisis situations in correctional facilities and help 

promote better outcomes for persons with mental illness. 

• NIC hosts a live, interactive geriatric video conference where attendees 

learn best practices and evidence-based strategies for working with the 

aging offender population. 

Another important aspect of addressing the needs of corrections staff is ensuring that continued professional development and advancement opportunities 

are made available. NIC’s curriculum for management-level staff provides pathways for professionals interested in advancing in the field. For those who have 

secured executive-level status, NIC offers training focused on sharpening skills 

and applying best and evidence-based practices to improve decisionmaking. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

How Does NIC Address the Needs of Corrections Staff? 13
 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

14 National Institute of Corrections Report to the Nation FY 2010 

Table 2 features selected highlights of NIC’s training enrollments in FY 2010. 

NIC’s training maximizes advances in technology with research-based instruction tailored for working adults. Among the training options currently available are classroom instruction, virtual online courses led by a live instructor, 

live satellite/Internet broadcasts, and web-based/e-learning courses. In FY 

2010, NIC trained nearly 4,000 state and local staff in a classroom setting 

and reached an estimated 65,000 viewers for its live broadcasts. Over 10,000 

e-learning courses were completed in FY 2010, and nearly another 100 participants were taught using NIC’s virtual instructor-led training. 

table 2: seleCted NIC Classroom traINING eNrollmeNt totals 

training session Number of attendees 

Administering the Small and Medium-Sized Jail 53 

Administering the Small Jail 48 

Conducting Prison Security Audits 53 

Correctional Leadership Development 32 

Correctional Leadership for Women 48 

Emergency Preparedness for Corrections 22 

Executive Training for New Wardens 77 

Inmate Behavior Management 63 

Jail Administration 87 

Jail as Part of County Government 41 

Management Development for the Future 113 

Management of Violent, High-Risk, and High-Security Inmates 22 

Managing Jail Design and Construction 22 

Operational Practice in the Management of Women’s Prisons 118 

Orientation for New Pretrial Executives 33 

Orientation for New Probation and Parole Chief Executive Officers 14 

Orientation for Parole Board Members 22 

Planning of New Institutions:Taking Control of the Planning Process 23 

Women’s Risk and Needs Assessment Training of Trainers 11 
How Is NIC Involved in Evidence-Based 

Practices? 

A common buzzword these days is EBP. It stands 

for evidence-based practices, and it describes 

an approach to doing business that relies on 

research and time-tested methods, rather than habit, to 

inform operations. NIC has been a pioneer in evidencebased practices since the late 1990s with its involvement 

in the Transition from Jail to the Community Initiative. 

Today, NIC continues to stand as a leader in EBP with 

its trailblazing efforts in pretrial and parole, and its approach 

to working with special offender populations. In fact, 

evidence-based practices permeate through all that NIC does. 

Following are some highlights of NIC’s efforts in this area: 

• NIC makes Evidence-Based Principles for Reducing Offender Risk available online. The item comprises a boxed set of helpful documents on issues 

ranging from implementing evidence-based policy and practice to a guide 

for prosecutors on how to use evidence-based practice successfully to promote public safety. 

• NIC develops a framework that applies evidence-based practices to decisionmaking. The framework focuses on using measurable factors, such 

as risk and harm reduction, to improve the decisionmaking outcomes of 

criminal justice systems and promote disciplined criminal justice science. 

• NIC creates an award-winning e-learning package for firstline supervisors 

in jails, community corrections, and prisons who need to know the basics of 

evidence-based practices in working through implementation with their staff. 

How Does NIC Address Other 

Contemporary Issues in Corrections? 

T

he fundamentals of ensuring public safety, educating the nation’s toplevel corrections workforce, and being a resource for corrections information will always be mainstays of the business of the National Institute 

of Corrections. Yet, as times and priorities change, so, too, does NIC, keeping 

abreast of emerging best practices and staying on the cusp of developments as 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

How Is NIC Involved in Evidence-Based Practices? 15
they emerge from the field. In FY 2010, NIC hosted numerous satellite/ 

Internet broadcasts and training events highlighting trends in corrections. 

Highlights include the following: 

Green Corrections 

• NIC hosts Greening Corrections: 

People, Programs, and Practices, 

illustrating for viewers how they 

can apply green principles and 

engineering throughout all aspects 

of corrections. 

• NIC transitions its annual printed 

Technical Assistance, Information, 

and Training for Adult Corrections 

guide to an all-online format. The 

guide highlights the services and 

training that NIC offers to correctional 

staff, executives, and legislators. 

Jail Administration 

• NIC releases Direct Supervision Jails: The Role of the Administrator, a 

guide that provides jail administrators with comprehensive instruction 

and information on how to perform their jobs effectively. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

16 National Institute of Corrections Report to the Nation FY 2010 

 

 

 

 –

PRESORTED STANDARD 

POSTAGE & FEES PAID 

U.S. Department of Justice 

Permit No. G 231 

U.S. Department of Justice 

National Institute of Corrections 

Washington, DC 20534 

Official Business 

Penalty for Private Use $300 

Address Service Requested 

www.nicic.gov 

National Institute of Corrections • 320 First Street, NW • Washington, DC 20534 • 800–995–6423