Technology and Training

“Air Course Academy”

This year the Academy expanded its implementation of the distance learning training program. Nicknamed the “Air Course Academy”, this program provides a highly cost-effective means of training for specifically targeted employee groups.

For these groups, this innovative and interactive approach has reduced the department's training costs, employee travel expense, and extended manpower shortages. Training schedules are coordinated through local training specialists and special program announcements are published monthly via email.

There are essentially two forms of programming used in the delivery of the form of training.

Single Site, or Point-to-Point programming from the Academy to a single receiving field location only requires individual scheduling for one time occurrences – or rotational scheduling, if repetitive system-wide coverage is desired. It uses and co-exists on the department’s existing network with no connect charge incurred for either of the two participating locations.

Examples:

• Single-site reception of a live satellite downlink from the Academy
• Single-site reception of pre-recorded material from the Academy (satellite rebroadcasts, previously conducted training sessions, training videos, etc.)
• Single-site live interactive programming from the Academy

Multiple Site, or Multi-Point programming from the Academy to several simultaneously receiving locations, requires external hardware resources from the Office of Information Resources (OIR) and involves an hourly charge for all participants. Connect charges of $25.00 per hour per site are incurred. For instance, a Multi-Point session including the Academy, West Region’s WTSP, Middle Region’s DSNF, and East Region’s NECX, would cost $100.00 per hour.

Examples:

• Simultaneous system-wide time or event-critical meetings or conferences
• Simultaneous system-wide time or event-critical training for specific employee categories

User-Paced Instruction

The Academy has developed the following CD-ROM Individualized (User-Paced) Instruction Modules to allow for remedial or specialty study – available through your local training specialist:

• AIDS/Bloodborne Pathogens (1.0 hr)
• Title VI (1.0 hr)
• Interviewing Skills (4.0 hr)
• Employee Assistance Program (1.0 hr)
• Security Threat Group Update (1.0 hr)
• Management Responsibility Systems (6.0 hr)

As resources permit and demand requires, we will continue this process, with modules constructed and distributed on an as-needed basis.

Video Conferencing Library

Over the years, the National Institute of Corrections, the U.S. Department of Justice, and the Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention have produced a number of videos available to assist departments across the nation.  Many of those are now available for rebroadcast via the TDOC's video conferencing link.  Below is a listing of the videos available.

Topics:

What Works and What Doesn't? (NIC - 120)
Restorative Justice (NIC - 120)
Has the Juvenile Court Out-lived its Usefulness? (NIC - 105)
Youth Gangs in America (DOJ - 120)
Leadership Challenges - Juvenile Corrections & Detention (DOJ - 120)
Juvenile Offenders Drug Treatment - Promising Approaches (DOJ - 120)
Managing Youthful Offenders in Adult Institutions (NIC - 120)
Comprehensive Juvenile Justice in State Legislatures (OJJDP - 90)
Gangs, Corrections and the Community (NIC - 120)
Psychopaths: Their Nature and Impact on Corrections (NIC - 120)
Cognitive Approaches to Offender Behavior (NIC - 120)
Successful Interventions for Serious/Violent Offenders (OJJDP - 120)
Females and the Juvenile Justice System (OJJDP - 120)
Correctional Strategies in Gang Management (NIC - 120)
Options for Managing Difficult Inmates (NIC - 120)
Addressing Staff Sexual Misconduct (NIC - 120)
Collaborative Approach to Staff Recruitment and Retention (NIC - 180)
Transition from Prison to the Community (NIC - 180)
Building New Employee Success with Effective FTO Programs (NIC - 180)
Institutional Culture: Does it help or hurt your prison's mission? (NIC - 180)
How PREA [Prison Rape Elimination Act] Affects You (NIC–180)
Classification of High-Risk Offenders (NIC–180)

Upcoming broadcasts will be added to this series as they are conducted.

Work Site Training Coordinators:

Please contact Lynn Claxton, Training & Curriculum Director, to schedule your employees' viewing of these teleconferences. Recording on-site training credit for these programs may be coordinated through the academy records office. Please see the staff services webpage for contact numbers and email addresses.

Send comments and questions to TDOC webmaster.