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Do you have lesson plans on investigations and report writing?

Free Writing and Grammar Self-Paced E-courses are Available through the NIC Learning Center

NIC currently offers self-paced e-courses that you can access online any time, any place via the NIC Learning Center. Access is available to corrections professionals whose jobs are categorized as executive management, middle management, first line supervision, offender programming, or training/staff development.

Missouri Department of Corrections Institutional Basic Training [Lesson Plans and Participant’s Manuals] 

Missouri Department of Correction, 2014

Lesson plans, participant materials, and PowerPoint presentations (if available) are provided for report writing. Request a Copy

Document ID: 029587

PREA: Investigating Sexual Abuse in a Confinement Setting Course

National Institute of Corrections, 2013

Welcome to the National Institute of Corrections’ Prison Rape Elimination Act (PREA) Investigating Sexual Abuse in a Confinement Setting Course. The main purpose of this course is to assist agencies in meeting the requirements of Prison Rape Elimination Act (PREA) Section 115.34 “Specialized Training for Investigators”. At the end of this course, you will be able to explain the knowledge, components, and considerations that an investigator must use to perform a successful sexual abuse or sexual harassment investigation consistent with PREA standards.

Document ID: 027695

Alabama Corrections Academy Basic Training Curriculum 

Alabama Department of Corrections, 2013

Lesson plans, participant materials, and PowerPoint presentations (if available) are provided for report writing. Request a Copy

Document ID: 27113

Crime Scene Investigator Network

Crime Scene Investigator Network, 2013

This website is a portal to all things related to crime scene investigation (CSI). It presents a wealth of resources that you can use to begin or brush up on your skills in crime-scene investigation. Access is provided to the following topics: crime scene response; evidence collection; crime scene and evidence photography; articles regarding general crime scene investigation, fingerprints, DNA, and packaging evidence; video presentation; colleges and training; how to become a CSI; employment; forum; resources and links; bookstore; and CSI in the news.

Document ID: 027007

Developing a Policy on the Use of Social Media in Intelligence and Investigative Activities: Guidance and Recommendations

U.S. Dept. of Justice, Office of the Deputy Attorney General, 2013

"Social media sites have become useful tools for the public and law enforcement entities, but criminals are also using these sites for wrongful purposes. Social media sites may be used to coordinate a criminal-related flash mob or plan a robbery, or terrorist groups may use social media sites to recruit new members and espouse their criminal intentions. Social media sites are increasingly being used to instigate or conduct criminal activity, and law enforcement personnel should understand the concept and function of these sites, as well as know how social media tools and resources can be used to prevent, mitigate, respond to, and investigate criminal activity. To ensure that information obtained from social media sites for investigative and criminal intelligence-related activity is used lawfully while also ensuring that individuals' and groups' privacy, civil rights, and civil liberties are protected, law enforcement agencies should have a social media policy (or include the use of social media sites in other information-related policies). This social media policy should communicate how information from social media sites can be utilized by law enforcement, as well as the differing levels of engagement--such as apparent/overt, discrete, or covert--with subjects when law enforcement personnel access social media sites, in addition to specifying the authorization requirements, if any, associated with each level of engagement. These levels of engagement may range from law enforcement personnel 'viewing' information that is publicly available on social media sites to the creation of an undercover profile to directly interact with an identified criminal subject online. Articulating the agency's levels of engagement and authorization requirements is critical to agency personnel's understanding of how information from social media sites can be used by law enforcement and is a key aspect of a social media policy" (p. 1-2)

Document ID: 027166

Documenting a Suspect's State of Mind

Dietz, Park, FBI Law Enforcement Bulletin, 2012

With the new requirements for documentation resulting from the Prison Rape Elimination Act (PREA) and other state mandates, those correctional officers that investigate violent crimes and allegations of prison rape need to be aware of the procedure explained in this article. These officers “typically obtain as many details as possible from suspects about actions committed during the crime. However, these details do not always include relevant information about a defendant’s mental state, and such omissions may introduce uncertainties that make mental defenses more likely to arise and succeed … the author offers investigators an interview protocol to assist them in documenting the critical issues regarding a suspect’s state of mind at the time of the offense and the confession [if one is made], thus preparing them for positive battles in the courtroom” (p. 1). The Dietz Mental State Interview Protocol is an essential tool for the investigating officer to use.

Document ID: 026909

The Ultimate Use of Force Report

Barnhart, Tracy. corrections.com, 2009

The 'Use of Force Documentation Checklist' is the highlight of this article. Other topics discussed include: five reasons for reporting use of force as accurately as possible; how force is evaluated; levels of resistance; and risk management questions

Document ID: 024291