Correctional Institutions Division

Jeff Marton, Director, Correctional Training and Staff Development

Paul Morales
Director

Correctional Training and Staff Development Department

Mission

To provide practical and relevant cognitive knowledge and skill competency based training services to all Texas Department of Criminal Justice (TDCJ) employees in order to best prepare them to support and carry out the mission of the TDCJ.

What we do

Our sole reason for existence as Correctional Training and Staff Development staff is to ensure correctional staff receive the information and skills necessary to perform their duties safely and effectively. We believe the term correctional staff refers to uniformed and non-uniformed staff alike who are all at risk and equally worthy of our services.

There are five programs offered by the Correctional Training and Staff Development Department:

1. Pre-Service Training Program-Phase I
2. In-Service Training Program
3. Leadership Development Training Program
4. Specialized Training Program
5. Ancillary Training Program

Pre-Service Training Program - Phase I, Academy Instruction

Correctional Training and Saff Development conducted 137 Pre-Service Academies in FY12 and graduated a total of 4,653 employees. Correctional officers and non-uniformed staff received 200 hours of core instruction through the on-site training programs delivered by six regional training academies.
Region I - Minnie R. Houston Academy, Huntsville
Region II - Beto Academy, Palestine
Region III - Ramsey Academy, Rosharon
Region IV - Edmundo Mireles Academy, Beeville
Region V - Plainview Academy, Plainview
Region VI - Hilltop Academy, Gatesville

In addition, special pre-service academies were held at 9 alternative locations to increase community-based training opportunities and broaden the geographical availability of Pre-Service Training. FY11 community-based locations included Abilene, Amarillo, Childress, Ft. Stockton, Lubbock, New Boston, Snyder, Wichita Falls, and Woodville. These special programs were responsive to the needs of employees in remote areas and helped address staffing shortages in many of these locations.

In-Service Training Program

In FY12, training staff provided 40 hours of annual instruction to 29,588 uniformed and non-uniformed staff in 1,348 classes conducted across the state at the six regional academies and 25 unit-based locations listed below.

Unit Profiles

Allred Unit in Wichita Falls
Briscoe Unit in Dilley
Choice Moore in Bonham
Clements Unit in Amarillo
Dalhart Unit in Dalhart
Dominguez Unit in San Antonio
Ft. Stockton Unit in Ft. Stockton
Hamilton Unit in College Station
Havins Unit in Brownwood
Hightower Unit in Dayton
Hutchins Unit in Dallas
Jester IV Unit in Richmond
Johnston Unit in Winnsboro
Jordan Unit in Pampa
Lewis Unit in Woodville
Lychner Unit in Humble
Roach Unit in Childress
Robertson Unit in Abilene
Sanchez Unit in El Paso
Sayle Unit in Breckenridge
Segovia Unit in Edinburg
Telford Unit in New Boston
Travis County State Jail in Austin
... and two colleges that service the nearby units
Lamar Institute of Technology in Beaumont
Western Texas College in Snyder

Leadership Development Training Program

The Leadership Development Training Program is comprised of eight courses offered to TDCJ employees in supervisory positions. In FY12, 1,750 employees received management and leadership training through one or more of the following courses:

Principles of Supervision - 20 hours
Training for Staff Trainers - 40 hours
Leadership Forum - 16 hours
Success Through Active Responsible Supervision (STARS) - 36 hours
Sergeants, Food Service and Laundry Managers Training Academy - 87 hours
Sergeants, Food Service and Laundry Managers Training Retreat - 42 hours
Lieutenant Command School - 40 hours
Correctional Administrator Preparedness Training - 32 hours

Specialized Training Program

During FY12, Correctional Training and Staff Development provided instruction to 2,177 TDCJ employees through a range of specialized courses as outlined below.

Armory Custodian Training
Beam Hit Training
Close Quarters Combat Training
Code-4 Firearms Qualification
Defensive Tactics - Edged Weapons
Defensive Tactics - Fundamentals
Defensive Tactics - Ground Defense
Defensive Tactics Instructor - Level 1
Defensive Tactics Instructor - Level 2
Defensive Tactics Instructor Upgrade
Field Officer Training
First Responder Training
Hostage Negotiation Training
Munitions Instructor - Level 1
Munitions Instructor - Level 2
Munitions Instructor Upgrade
Pepperball Applicator Certification
Pepperball Instructor Training
Smith & Wesson M&P Certification
Smith & Wesson M&P Instructor Training
Wardens Annual Firearms Qualification

Ancillary Training Program

An objective of the Correctional Training and Staff Development Department delivers relevant training programs at all levels of the organization. The Ancillary Training Program includes courses designed for unit-assigned clerical and support staff, as well as employees who serve in the unit On-the-Job Training Program.

In FY12, the Correctional Awareness course was re-introduced as an individual 40-hour course. This course provides initial orientation for new unit-assigned clerical and support staff and was previously incorporated into the annual In-Service training program. More than 340 employees attended the Correctional Awareness training which focuses on security concerns and awareness of the correctional environment. Through the Staff Survivor course in FY12, 1,360 clerical and support staff received 16 hours of correctional environment training to re-enforce physical protection strategies and techniques to avoid offender manipulation.

In addition to training clerical and support staff, Correctional Training and Staff Development provides training to equip the Field Training Officers (FTO) and other employees involved in the unit On-the-Job Training Program. Initial FTO Training, Initial Mentor Training, and FTO Workshops are conducted quarterly in each region and were attended by 1,314 FTOs and mentors during FY12.

Contacts

Paul Morales
Director of Correctional Training and Staff Development

Darrell W. McCracken
Correctional Training and Staff Development Manager

John Stapleton
Correctional Training and Staff Development Supervisor

David Brunet
Leadership Development Supervisor

Matt Gross
Curriculum Supervisor

Tina Cope
Information Management Supervisor

Joan Wickersham
Human Resources Supervisor

Physical Address:
Texas Department of Criminal Justice
Correctional Training & Staff Development