Course Description

This is five weeks of training broken down into nine sections.

Orientation

Subject area

• Field Training/Practicum
• Orientation to Corrections

Overview

This course is designed to expose students to the daily operations and activities of various types of correctional facilities, and to provide them with appropriate opportunities to observe and apply theoretical principles and concepts in the practical environment.  Students participate in facility tours; engage in operational exercises; and perform various Vermont Correctional Officer duties under the supervision of a facility training officer (FTO).

 

Objectives

Describe the daily activities and responsibilities of a correctional officer in a specific Vermont correctional facility; apply principles, practices, skills, and abilities learned in the classroom to empirical correctional activities including, but not limited to inmates counts and movements; emergency incident reports; demonstrate the ability to communicate effectively with superiors, peers, and inmates; and develop critical thinking, evaluation, and decision making skills in the complex environment of daily correctional operations.

Instruction

Students must complete no fewer than 80 hours of “on-the-job training” and eight hours of “orientation to corrections.”  Instructional methods for the course include lecture, out-of-class study, and practical application exercises.  Examination methods include written exercises, practical performance assessments, and formal debriefing.

Medical/Mental Health

Subject area

• Mental health          
• Suicide prevention
• Blood borne pathogens

Overview

This course is designed to provide students with an appropriate understanding of specific health issues among inmates and correctional officers – medical and mental health, blood borne pathogens, first aid/CPR, and suicide prevention.  The capacity to recognize and respond to a range of health-related issues facilitates both treatment for and prevention of further illness [and possible injury].  Students will gain a greater understanding of the legal, diagnostic and response/reporting criteria for medical and mental health issues among males and females at varying stages of incarceration.

Objectives

Identify the most common health concerns in corrections and their modes of transmission.  Identify factors contributing to or detracting from the physical and emotional health of correctional personnel.  Recognize various aspects of mental illness and the common symptoms of depression.  Understand the manifestations of co-occurring behaviors.  Recognize stress indicators, properly evaluate situations, and take appropriate action toward available services.  Develop a responsible decision-making process for physical and mental health.  Discuss safety and social/professional concerns relative to blood borne pathogens.  Describe how blood borne pathogens are transmitted.  List the common methods of universal precautions.  Triggering events/time periods for heightened suicide risk.  Emergency interventions and reporting procedures for suicide attempts.  Complete American Heart Association certification in CPR and first aid.

Instruction

Students must complete no fewer than eight hours of “mental health,” eight hours of “suicide prevention,” eight hours of “first aid/CPR,” and two hours of “blood borne pathogens.”  Instructional methods for the course include lecture, interactive discussions, use of charts, PowerPoint presentations, and a video.  Examination methods include practical exercises and written examinations.

Ethics

Subject area

• Organizational Overview
• The Corrections Professional
• Diversity in the Workplace

Overview

This course is designed to provide students with an appropriate understanding of ethical issues among inmates and correctional officers through instruction on the historical factors associated with the evolution of corrections in Vermont, the modern principles of corrections under a human services approach, and the range of respectful conduct elements in the context of diversity in the workplace.

Objectives

Identify, define, and understand the relative importance of historical, philosophical, and interpersonal issues within Vermont correctional facilities.  Identify, define, and understand the relative importance of cultural, gender, and diversity issues for administrators, staff, and individuals incarcerated within a correctional facility.  Identify, understand, and practice strategies to prevent inappropriate staff-inmate misconduct.  Describe, know and be able to effectively sustain a human service approach to corrections.

Instruction

Students must complete no fewer than four hours of “organizational overview,” four hours of “the corrections professional,” and two hours of “diversity in the workplace.”  Instructional methods for the course include lecture, interactive discussions, use of charts, PowerPoint presentations, and a video.  Examination methods include classroom and practical exercises.

Rights and Responsibilities of Offenders

Subject area

• Legal issues
• American w/Disabilities Act       

Overview

This course is designed to provide students with an appropriate understanding of inmate’s rights within Vermont correctional facilities through instruction on US and state mandates on various issues. 

Objectives

Define the areas where U.S. Constitutional amendments impact upon the prison setting.  Understand the requirements of due process.  Describe the four types of liability cases that correctional officers generally encounter.  List the factors that are necessary for the application of use-of-force.  Describe the factors and situations relevant to the legality of searches within correctional facilities.

Instruction

Students must complete no fewer than four hours of “legal issues,” and two hours of the “American with Disabilities Act.”  Instructional methods for the course include lecture, case studies, interactive discussions, and PowerPoint presentations.  Examination methods include classroom and practical exercises.

Security Procedures

Subject area

• Log book, Headcount, Radio, and Key control Procedures, & Report writing:
• Drug Identification   
• Contraband & Searches

Overview

This course is designed to provide students with important knowledge on security related procedures within Vermont correctional facilities as they pertain to daily procedures, drugs and paraphernalia, various other contraband, and cell and personal searches.

Objectives

Understand and illustrate knowledge of daily procedures relative to recording keeping and accountability issues.  Understand, illustrate and define the requirements involving searches within correctional facilities.  Identify and understand the types and effects of various illicit and prescription drugs as well as methods for smuggling and producing illicit drugs in facilities.  List the 11 responsibilities an officer has regarding a log book.  List the 7 different types of log book entries.  List the responsibilities of the Training Assistant and Training Coordinator regarding log books.  Demonstrate log entries over the length of the Correctional Academy.  Identify the appropriate DOC policy number for key control.  List the reasons why key control is necessary in a correctional facility.  Demonstrate the appropriate passage of a key from one officer to another officer.  Demonstrate securing a key to an officer.  Recognize the parts of the radio.  List the commonly used “10” codes.  List the phonetic alphabet.  Demonstrate the proper use of a radio.  Recognize why staff write reports.  List the necessary contents of a report.  List the elements of a report.  Recognize the importance of editing.  Identify 4 potential ways contraband is introduced to a correctional facility.  Demonstrate the 6 steps of a proper pat search.  List the 12 steps for conducting a proper strip search.  List 2 reasons why empathy for an offender is important during a strip search.  List 3 situations in which strip searches must be performed.  Demonstrate professionalism during the strip search, pat down and shakedown.  List 2 differences female offenders bring to strip search, pat search and room shakedown.  List 2 differences between inmate correspondence and inmate mail.

Instruction

Students must complete no fewer than eight hours of “contraband & searches,” four hours of “daily procedures – logbook, headcount, radio, key control and report writing,” and four hours of “drug addiction/identification.”  Instructional methods for the course include lecture, interactive discussions, PowerPoint presentations, and review of sample materials and equipment.  Examination methods include practical exercises and written examinations.

Emergency Prevention & Response

Subject area: Fire behavior & evacuation

• Use of fire extinguishers   
• Emergency preparedness
• Self-contained breathing apparatus (SCBA)    
• First aid/CPR

Overview

This course is designed to provide students with practical knowledge on various emergency prevention and response procedures and practices within Vermont correctional facilities as they pertain to fire safety an emergency first responder medical services.

Objectives

Name the four components of a fire, the eight sources of these components, the five phases of a fire, the two special considerations that could arise during a fire, and the “golden rule” of search and rescue.  Identify the Co’s role ion a fire situation.  Name four typical reasons why offenders start fires.  Name three places on the body that the SCBA protects and the limitations of using a SCBA.  Demonstrate donning a SCBA.  Identify four respiratory hazards encountered in a fire.  Demonstrate the right and left search pattern.  Demonstrate a search and rescue in a smoke condition.  Learn a new and comprehensive system of emergency preparedness and response.

Instruction

Students must complete no fewer than six hours of “fire behavior and evacuation,” two hours of “use of fire extinguishers,” 16 hours of “emergency preparedness,” four hours of “SCBA,” and eight hours of “first aid/CPR.”  Instructional methods for the course include lecture, interactive discussions, practical applications, use of charts, PowerPoint presentations, and video.  Examination methods include practical exercises and written examinations.

Conflict and Crisis Management

Subject area

• Advanced communication techniques
• Offender grievance procedures
• Use of force

Overview

This course is designed to provide students with an appropriate understanding of specific issues related to conflict and crisis management within Vermont correctional facilities.  Students gain a precise understanding of communication techniques and grievance and use of force procedures that are fundamental to their function as correctional officers.

Objectives

To correctly differentiate, categorize, and report the behavior of inmates by applying the behavior continuum concept.  Identify the five components of the behavior continuum.  Identify the translation and intervention at each level of the continuum.  Define the responsibilities of the grievance manager and grievance coordinator.  Identify and define required responses to complaints and grievance actions.  Define and distinguish between emergency and non-emergency grievances.  Recognize grievance system abuse.  List the four universal employee performance expectations that are to be carried out.  Identify and define the use of the required complaint and grievance forms.  Demonstrate an understanding of alternative dispute resolution techniques used in resolving offender complaints.  Use of force objectives….

Instruction

Students must complete no fewer than 40 hours of “advanced communication techniques,” four hours of “offender grievance procedures,” and 40 hours of “use of force.”  Instructional methods for the course include lecture, PowerPoint presentations, interactive discussions, and role play exercises.  Examination methods include practical exercises and verbal and written examinations.

Supervision of Offenders

Subject area

• Offender classification     
• Offender discipline
• Restrictive housing
• Working with female Offenders

Overview

This course is designed to provide students with an appropriate understanding of specific issues related to the supervision of offenders within Vermont correctional facilities as they pertain to their valid classification, disciplinary methods, and special housing of offenders as well as the distinct aspects of working with female inmates.

Objectives

Identify the 12 classifications principles.  Identify the DOC custody levels and how they relate to the CVO.  Recognize the importance of the LSI-R and how it identifies risk.  Recognize CO duties as they relate to the Offender Responsibility Plan.  Define due process.  Recognize why the DOC has an inmate disciplinary system.  Define the differences between a major and minor disciplinary violation and recognize the steps to investigating a disciplinary report.  Define the role of various personnel in the disciplinary and appeals processes.  List the three risk factors for females within the corrections system.  Explain how the Parent and Families Act affect incarcerated women.  Define the three housing statuses.  Identify the five staff positions responsible for restrict housing visits and the required log entry process.  Recognize applicable access to services for each status.

Instruction

Students must complete no fewer than four hours of “offender classification,” four hours of “offender discipline,” four hours of “restrictive housing,” and two hours of “working with female offenders.”  Instructional methods for the course include lecture, interactive discussions, use of charts, PowerPoint presentations, and video.  Examination methods include practical exercises and written examinations.

Sexual Assault/Abuse

Subject area

• PREA
• Staff sexual misconduct 
• Sexual harassment
• Sexual Assault/Abuse course description

Overview

This course is designed to provide students with an appropriate understanding of the issues related to sexual assault and abuse in correctional facilities (e.g., nature of the problem, legal implications, legislation, procedural requirements, and officer responsibility).

Objectives

Discuss and identify key components of the Prison Rape Elimination Act as it relates to the VT DOC.  Understand the intent and scope of PREA.  Complete classroom tasks addressing individual knowledge and comprehension of inmate-on-inmate sexual assault.  Locate resources and both locally and federally to assist with PREA mandates.  Give at least one example of code of silence and explain the impact on a work site.  Define staff sexual misconduct.  Understand the Department’s policy regarding sexual misconduct with inmates.  Recognize the negative effectives of staff sexual misconduct.  Recognize the personal and professional risks involved when staff engage in sexual misconduct.  Identify the differences between sexual misconduct, assault and abuse.  Identify why and how agency culture plays a role in misconduct.  Recognize who is most vulnerable for involvement in staff sexual misconduct and what characteristics and experiences make them vulnerable.  Understand how agency culture affects the actions and perceptions of employees and offenders.  Increase knowledge in recognizing sexual harassment, the effects of sexual harassment in the workplace, and the State’s policy on sexual harassment.

Instruction

Students must complete no fewer than four hours on the “PREA,” two hours on “staff sexual misconduct,” and four hours on “sexual harassment.”  Instructional methods for the course include lecture, interactive discussions, supplemental reading materials (handouts), PowerPoint presentations, and videos.  Examination methods include practical exercises and written examinations.

AUDIENCE

The course is for new Correctional Officer Trainees only.

INSTRCTORS

Multiple Instructors

COST

There is no cost to Correctional Facility Placing Trainees into the Program

REGISTRATION