Corrections_Today_January_February_2021_Vol.83_No.1

n Training

time in the classroom as well as in the jail training officer program. Also, there was a large variance in the number of jail training officers that each individual was assigned, ranging anywhere from one to six trainers. These differ - ences in training duration likely resulted in a discrepancy in the amount of learning experiences each trainee encountered. This means each jailer begins working in a solo capacity on a different level of preparedness, mean- while they all have the same expectations of performance. The second aspect of the curriculum being evaluated is the actual content of the training each deputy jailer was ex - posed to. The results in this area were the most concerning of the entire study: 70% viewed their training as grossly inadequate and 60% cited that their defensive tactics train - ing specifically was lacking in either quality, quantity, or both. One of the most alarming revelations was that one jailer did not receive any defensive tactics training until almost six months after being hired, while another jailer did not receive defensive tactics training for the entire first year. There is another instance where an individual was unable to carry a Taser for six months due to a lack of Taser training, as well an interviewee who felt there is a need for more training on interpersonal communication skills in the initial onboarding phase. Lastly, one interviewee stated they did not receive CPR nor First-Aid training until a few months of being on the job. Not only was there an obvious lack of consistency in training content from jailer to jailer, there seemed to be a unanimous perceived lack of training quality, particularly in defense tactics. In addition to the lack of defensive tactics training, the jailers’ responses regarding delayed training on CPR and First-Aid should not be ignored. According to Noonan (2016), the Bureau of Justice Statistics has found that in 2014 heart disease was the second leading cause of death in local jails from 2000-2014. In 2014 alone, there were 41 re - spiratory related deaths, 239 deaths caused by heart disease, and 372 suicides (Noonan, 2016). Proper CPR and First Aid training can mitigate the chances of death if a jailer encoun - ters an inmate that fits any of these three categories. The most prevalent shortcoming of the current training model was that even though all the deputy jailers were trained at the sheriff’s office, there was inconsistency in both training format and duration. It was also evident that there was a lack of emphasis on training the deputy jailers on the necessary topics to keep them and the inmates as safe as possible, before working on the jail floor.

Conclusion Training is a critical component of any American jail. Further research should be done regarding the rate of inmate attacks on jailers that is exclusively focused on indirect supervision style facilities. There should also be more investigation about how many possible medical emergencies have been either mitigated or avoided com- pletely due to proper CPR and First Aid training of jail staff. The overall direction of a sheriff’s office deputy jailer training should focus on creating a larger applicant pool through more effective and persistent job adver - tisements. Using that larger applicant pool, they should make a genuine effort to select and hire deputy jailers that intend to remain in the role for an extended period of time. This may include creating a lead jailer position that acts as a second-level supervisor on shift and also oversees various projects and special tasks throughout the jail. Further, this may incentivize deputy jailers to remain in the position for a longer period of time. A commitment should also be made to not putting new deputy jailers onto the jail floor until they have success - fully completed their week-long jailer academy, with no exceptions. This will inevitably keep this Midwestern sheriff’s office free from a litigation, but more impor - tantly keep the deputy jailers and inmates as physically safe as possible. References Key Concepts in Correctional Facilities (2019). Retrieved from https://www.correctionalofficer.org/key-concepts Miller, K. B. (2016). A study of modernized personnel training in corrections: An assessment of the correctional officer pre-service training in Texas. Master of Public Administration, Texas State University , San Marcos, TX. Noonan, M. E. (2016) Mortality in local jails, 2000-2014-statistical tables. Bureau of Justice Statistics . (December 2016). Pp. 1-29, Retrieved from https://www.bjs.gov/content/pub/pdf/mlj0014st.pdf Trump, A. (2017). Arming deputies with different kinds of weapons: Communication, patience, and knowledge. American Jails , 31(1), 26. Robert A. Sturm III is a civilian specialist for the Johnson County, KS Sheriff’s Office. Mark Kessler is a deputy sheriff in charge of the Professional Standards Unit for the Miami County, KS Sheriff’s Office. Patricia Dahl, Ph.D. is an associate professor at Washburn University in Topeka, KS.

18 — January/February 2021 Corrections Today