National Institute of Corrections Grants

National Institute of Corrections

Executive Leadership Training for New Wardens

National Institute of Corrections

Leadership Essentials for Sustainability

National Institute of Corrections

This is not a request for competitive applications. This announcement is to provide notice of NIC s continuation of Cooperative Agreement 24PR11GLT9.

National Institute of Corrections

The continued growth of the incarcerated population, combined with the rapid retirement of baby boomers, has created a significant increase in the number of wardens needed to operate prisons, jails, and community corrections facilities across the nation. Wardens play a critical role in ensuring public safety, protecting the well being of staff and incarcerated individuals, and serving as responsible stewards of public resources. Today s wardens lead complex organizations that manage specialized populations, address staffing shortages and overcrowding, and interact with a wide range of external stakeholders. As chief executive officers of multimillion dollar public institutions, their responsibilities are both extensive and widely misunderstood by the public.To meet this urgent workforce need, NIC developed the Executive Leadership Training for New Wardens curriculum, originally launched in 2001 and fully updated in 2022. This 36 hour, instructor led program is specifically designed for wardens with fewer than two years of experience and focuses on the essential leadership and administrative skills required to effectively manage a correctional facility. Core topics include institutional culture, central office relationships, fiscal decision making, human resource management, media relations, action planning, and self care. The program also provides participants with valuable opportunities to network with peers from across the country, a component consistently identified as one of the most beneficial aspects of the training.

National Institute of Corrections

A well designed and well managed security audit program systematically reviews prison operations, policies, procedures, staff performance, physical security systems, and emergency preparedness to identify vulnerabilities and risks. Because prisons inherently involve high risk factors such as escapes, violence, contraband, disturbances, and other safety threats structured, policy driven audits conducted by knowledgeable staff are essential for identifying and preventing problems before they occur.NIC s 36 hour security training program supports this goal by providing a comprehensive, hands on auditing experience. The program includes an in brief with agency and facility leadership, one full day of in person classroom instruction, three and a half days of prison based audit work, and a half day executive close out. Participants have a unique, nonjudgmental opportunity to apply auditing skills in real operational settings as teams are deployed to designated prisons. Upon completion, a full report of findings is prepared, enabling agencies to develop effective remediation strategies.

National Institute of Corrections

Risk Assessment: Conducting Prison Security Audits

National Institute of Corrections

Staffing Analysis Implementation Program

National Institute of Corrections

NIC has been providing staffing analysis resources to the corrections community for over 30 years. Their staffing analysis process and methodology are widely regarded as the industry standard within the corrections community and beyond.Through this cooperative agreement, NIC seeks to provide the corrections community with opportunities to participate in the Virtual Instructor Led Training (VILT) version of staffing analysis training. This program will enhance and expand staffing analysis training and technical assistance for federal, state, local, and tribal corrections agencies.Extracted from the processes and methodology depicted in NIC staffing analysis resources, the staffing analysis VILT curriculum was developed with distinct advantages for the participating agencies over the in-class delivery method. The staffing analysis process can be time-consuming and daunting for new or inexperienced analysts. As with most things, practical experience is the best instructor. Unlike the in-class curriculum, the NIC staffing analysis VILT training program provides participating agencies with step-by-step instruction and actual completion of a staffing analysis over the course of the training engagement.Participants will be supported throughout the learning process through live virtual instruction, structured intersession assignments, and individualized coaching as they complete a staffing analysis of custodial line officers and first-line supervisors at one of their agency s facilities.

National Institute of Corrections

Advancing Behavioral Health in Corrections: Training and Policy Innovation Initiative

National Institute of Corrections

The National Institute of Corrections (NIC) acknowledges the pressing challenges facing behavioral health care within correctional settings nationwide. Correctional facilities increasingly contend with complex mental health and substance use issues among incarcerated individuals, yet existing behavioral health services are consistently limited by service gaps, inconsistent institutional policies, and insufficient staff training, as revealed through research and dialogue with NIC s Mental Health Network. These shortcomings jeopardize the rehabilitation and well-being of those in custody, while also causing elevated staff stress, burnout, and organizational instability.Through this cooperative agreement, NIC will launch a comprehensive initiative to address these systemic concerns. The project will encompass an in-depth gap analysis of behavioral health services, a rigorous review of institutional policies to ensure alignment with national standards, and robust stakeholder engagement to inform program development. Input from corrections professionals and behavioral health experts will play a pivotal role in shaping project strategies and solutions.A primary outcome of these efforts will be the creation of a dynamic behavioral health training e-course designed for correctional staff. This curriculum will draw on evidence-based best practices including trauma-informed care, cognitive-behavioral techniques, medication-assisted treatment for substance use disorders, and crisis intervention strategies. By equipping staff with practical, accessible tools rooted in the realities of correctional work, the initiative will enhance staff skills, foster professional development and wellness, and ultimately contribute to a safer and more stable correctional environment.