All prisons in the United States fall under the control of the federal Bureau of Prisons. However, when broken down further, there is also a state Bureau of Prisons which may need separate educational instructions, based on the requirements of your state. As such, it is important for employees to be aware not only of the Bureau of Federal Prisons but also their individual states, such as the California Bureau of Prisons or the Missouri Bureau of Prisons.
The goals of the Federal Bureau of Prisons are clearly outlined, including the ability to protect society through the confinement of offenders, offer offenders controlled environments which are safe, humane, secure and cost efficient and provide assistance and opportunities to help transition offenders into positive, law-abiding citizens. Individuals and businesses working with the US Bureau of Prisons should be well-versed on how to achieve these goals in order to focus their Bureau of Prisons education and training by:
1. Understanding and achieving the general educational requirements for these types of positions.
2. Completing necessary training for all prison employees so that everyone dealing with inmates meets state and federal regulations.
3. Becoming involved in supportive environments and groups, such as Bureau of Prison forums and related discussion boards.
Action Steps
The best contacts and resources to help you get it done
Investigate general education requirements for employment with the Bureau of Prisons
There are a number of employment opportunities when working with the US Bureau of Prisons. For each opportunity, it is likely that education requirements will vary. To this end, it is important to investigate each field to determine whether or not individuals, third-party businesses or staffing businesses will have the necessary resources and training to become employed with the US Bureau of Prisons and learn additional, important information about the Bureau of Prisons, both on a federal level and a state level for establishments such as the Kansas bureau of prisons or the Kentucky bureau of prisons.
I recommend: CareerRequirement.com offers educational and additional requirements for many different occupational fields, including those for prison guards.
Education Portal discusses not only the educational requirements of potential employees at the US Bureau of Prisons, but also potential positions within the prison system.
Establish a solid foundation of training at the Bureau of Prisons training centers or other locales
The federal Bureau of Prisons offers two main, official training centers for their employees. However, there are other establishments which will offer training for the various occupational fields at federal prisons, as well as state prisons and organizations, such as the Minnesota Bureau of prisons or the Louisiana Bureau of Prisons.
I recommend: BOP.gov lists the specific staff training centers for the Federal Bureau of Prisons which are located in Colorado and Georgia. State prison systems also adopt specific training curriculum options in order to increase the efficiency of events taking place in the prison. This is the only official option for professional training at the Bureau of Prisons. For assistance in understanding what is expected of individuals at these academies,
Archive.org offers a film of what training is like at the Bureau of Prisons, as well as tips for new arrivals.
Take part in discussion boards designed for those employed by state or federal Bureau of Prisons
Sometimes, employees will have questions, suggestions and comments that they want to share with others, but may not be sure of how to do that. The Internet has a number of forums and discussion boards designed specifically for employees of the Federal Bureau of Prisons in order to assist with these concerns and issues. This can allow a more expansive sharing of education, as well as advice on which training methods work and which may need more review.
I recommend: NICIC.org is a beneficial resource offering communication with regards to training and education, but also prison inmate management and other important fields.
Officer.com also offers a training-specific area on their discussion board.
Tips & Tactics
Helpful advice for making the most of this Guide
- The Bureau of Prisons also relies on private and civilian companies in order to run smoothly. Their official website reviews ways in which other organizations can become involved and to work with the Bureau of Prisons.