As reported by the Bureau of Justice Statistics, jails in the United States share the responsibility of providing custody and support for over 600,000 adults, a group that has seen a 21% increase in the total jail population and a 78% increase in adults over the age of 65. Jails throughout the country are also faced with managing inmates that have increasingly complex health and human service issues.
In response, the National Institute of Corrections facilitated a focus group in August 2026 that helped identify the training gaps and/or opportunities affecting the professional growth and development of jail staff as they work on improving the reentry outcomes of men and women returning home. In addition, NIC began the process for providing state training hours for selected NIC training events (electives).
Convened at the Central Bureau of Prisons Office in Washington, DC, the focus group included jail and training executives from the following counties: Alexandria, Arlington, and Fairfax Counties in Virginia and Anne Arundel, Carroll, Charles, and Montgomery Counties in Maryland.
The dynamic and interactive exchange of ideas at the event addressed:
- In-service training
- Training must-haves and/or challenges
- Criminal justice trends
- Software/technology limitations
- Professional certifications
- State hour requirements
- Succession planning/coaching
- Virtual versus instructor-led training
Moving forward, the group will rank order the training topics that were identified at the event and select 2-3 courses to serve as electives to help jail staff meet their state training hour requirements.
