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.

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