Prisons

Offender classification is crucial in corrections for managing operations and adapting to evolving demographics, sentencing, and policy changes. The National Institute of Corrections offers programs, technical assistance, and resources to help agencies establish or update their classification procedures, emphasizing the use of objective systems and techniques.

Gangs are an ongoing national problem that requires effective management by the public safety community. The research discussed covers various topics related to gangs, including slang used by prison gangs and intervention for gang-affiliated inmates.

NIC believes in developing effective correctional leaders through competency-based training aligned with agency needs. It offers Correctional Leadership Competencies for the 21st Century, which links skills, knowledge, and attributes of effective leaders to specific behaviors.

Correctional administrators need to understand the different paths and levels of risk of women offenders to improve outcomes for them. Technical assistance is available to local jurisdictions to examine and improve their responses to this population.

The increase in the number of elderly prisoners has brought challenges to the criminal justice system, including the provision of adequate health care and the lack of resources and facilities to cater to their needs. This page provides resources that can help your agency properly prepare, address, and react to issues related to incarcerated individuals with advanced age.

This collection of resources is intended to provide a broad overview of current research and trends in the management and treatment of sex offenders.

Cognitive behavioral therapy reduces recidivism in both juveniles and adults. The therapy assumes that most people can become conscious of their own thoughts and behaviors and then make positive changes to them. This page gives CBT resources for correctional facilities.

This page provides links and resources to innovative ideas and best practices for managing and rehabilitating people with mental illnesses in corrections.

NIC's "Thinking for a Change" program is an evidence-based cognitive-behavioral program designed to help offenders develop pro-social thinking and problem-solving skills. The program emphasizes skill-building and practice in a group setting, and has been shown to reduce recidivism rates for participating offenders. By addressing underlying criminogenic needs, the program aims to improve offender outcomes and promote public safety.

PREA was enacted to address the issue of sexual abuse of people in custody. Its provisions include zero-tolerance standards, standards for detection, prevention, reduction, and punishment, collection and dissemination of information, and award of grant funds.

This webpage provides information on the safe and respectful management of LGBTQI persons in custody, using best practices and considering legal perspectives. Agencies can apply for limited technical assistance to improve their response to managing LGBTQI persons.

EBDM is a strategic and deliberate method of applying empirical knowledge and research-supported principles to justice system decisions made at the case, agency, and system level. Public safety outcomes will be improved when stakeholders engage in partnerships, use research, and create better outcomes.

NIC provides resources and services for trainers in the correctional system through the Learning and Performance Initiative to help build staff training and development capacity in corrections agencies, with guides and resources available to training directors, coordinators, and others responsible for training.

This webpage provides information to correctional agencies regarding safe and respectful management of restrictive housing populations. The use of restrictive housing has varied over time due to factors such as prison overcrowding and an increase in violent and disruptive inmates.

This page addresses the unique needs of justice-involved veterans, who suffer from physical and "invisible" wounds of war. NIC first developed "Veterans Treatment Courts: A Second Chance for Vets Who Have Lost Their Way," and established the Justice Involved Veterans Network to improve outcomes for veterans.

This page highlights the need for maintaining safety and security while providing opportunities for staff to not become overwhelmed by both institutional and community settings. "Wellness" emphasizes the importance of taking personal well-being seriously and provides a list of topics and resources to help professionals in the corrections field find balance and stay motivated to perform at their best.

This page on Operational Practice in the Management of Women's Prisons tackles the unique challenges that women face in correctional settings. It provides an overview of evidence-based, gender-responsive tools and practices that can help improve services, management, and outcomes for female offenders. The page covers a range of sub-topics, including medical and mental health, legal issues, communication differences, women's pathways to prison, gender-responsive principles, and staff sexual misconduct.

Prison security is crucial to maintaining staff and inmate safety in a correctional setting. Security Audit Program assesses security risks and vulnerabilities to prevent injuries, escapes, disruptions or property destruction. The Prison Staffing Analysis program helps assess staffing needs, determine critical levels, and modify and implement staffing operations for new or existing facilities.

NIC has launched the Correctional Anti-Human Trafficking Initiative to combat human trafficking in correctional operations. CAHTI is focusing on the victims of sex trafficking. The program aims to identify and rescue victims, provide necessary services and support, and generate evidence against their traffickers.

The Green Corrections Initiative promotes environmentally sustainable practices and green-collar job readiness training programs in correctional facilities. The initiative provides technical assistance to develop strategic plans for implementing GC programs and creates a community to promote green practices throughout the country.

Well-written policies and procedures inform and govern staff behavior, set clear expectations, and support professional behavior. Policies need to have defensible rationale, such as "legitimate correctional outcomes," prevailing standards, or specific case law, and must be officially approved and issued.

This page includes information and best practices on Redemption & Certificates of Rehabilitation including: Alternative Strategies for Reintegration, Criminal History Records & Employment, In the News, Legislation, Research, Restoration of Voting, Housing, & Pell Grants.

The resources on this page will help give an overview of the problems surrounding correctional suicides and the ways one can implement strategies to turn around the alarming upward trajectory of suicide rates.

The need for effective and efficient correctional healthcare services has risen with increasing incarceration rates, including mental health, substance abuse, suicide prevention, and elderly care. The this page has resources on correctional healthcare best practices.

The TPC model encourages strategic system changes to reduce recidivism and future victimization, to enhance public safety, and to improve the lives of communities, victims, and offenders. NIC, along with project partners, has implemented the TPC model in eight states.

The Supervision Agency Gender-Responsive Evaluation (SAGE) is a process designed to guide assessment of gender-responsiveness in policies and programs for women in correctional facilities. It includes two sections, and the assessment process requires collaboration among corrections professionals.

Employers must create a work environment that values diversity, equity, inclusion, and accessibility (DEIA) to attract the best employees. The DEIA supports individual and organizational growth by providing resources to examine bias, lead diverse teams, support inclusive teams, and create DEIA programs.