BJA Training Academy

The National Scan report is a comprehensive scan of state corrections academies, including national surveys, curriculum reviews of 13 states, and on-site observations of nine state corrections academies. Individual interviews, research, and review of other submitted documents are included.

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Observations include:

1. Curriculum design and integration of emerging challenges

• Lack of integration of adult learning
• Inconsistent needs assessment
• Unstructured on-the-job training (OJT)
• Ineffective staff-to-student ratios
• Unbalanced instructional focus
• Curriculum development gap
• Inconsistent, if any, physical training requirements
• Varied responsiveness to staff and population

2. Delivery and building capacity

• Onboarding challenges with residential training
• Inconsistent application of virtual training
• Ineffective training environments
• Insufficient funding

3. Expanding the training audience

• Lack of job task analysis that compromises OJT
• Imbalanced influence on training councils or boards
• Varied training audience
• Varied training hours

4. Evaluating training outcomes

• Lack of training evaluation
• Lack of trainer development
• Lack of professional development

5. Wellness and fitness for duty

• Misalignment of agency mission
• Lack of formal wellness program
• Lack of supervisory training
• Reduced hiring requirements