Prison Security

Prison security is crucial to maintaining staff and inmate safety in a correctional setting. Security in prisons includes, but is not limited to, managing restrictive housing populations, classification and assessment, managing special populations, and security audits.

Security Audit Training

The Prisons Division of NIC is seeking candidates for the Security Audit Program. In order to be considered for participation, each agency must submit a 3-member team. Team members should be in a supervisory role within the agency and in a position to affect change within the organization.

The work of the security audit may best be described as a risk assessment, the function of which is to determine the likelihood of a significant security problem or vulnerability to injury, escape, disruption or destruction of property due to inadequate policy, procedure, physical plant, and/or performance. Risk assessment, hence security audit, is the process of determining the risk remaining after all the normal management safeguards have been applied, including clarity of policy, procedure, post orders, training, physical plant accommodation, and daily supervisory activities.

Prison Staffing Analysis

Capitalize on staff strengths and abilities by using the right people in the right positions at the right times. This is the essence of staffing analysis, and it relies on decision makers’ competence to use their knowledge and understanding of basic staffing concepts, post identification, shift relief factors, critical staffing levels, and more to accurately assess staffing needs for new or existing facilities and operations.

This 32 hour program explores several methodologies for assessing current staffing levels and determining staffing requirements. By the end of the training, participants will be able to plan, modify, and implement staffing operations in their own facility.

Access NIC's Public Training Catalog

A special thanks goes to Jefferson County Sheriff's Office for the photograph.

Click on the image below to watch a video about Patti Wachtendorf discuss her story about becoming the first female warden of Iowa's toughest prison.