Training Policies & Procedures

PURPOSE OF PROGRAM:

  1. The Facility Training Officer program was developed in order to allow each facility the opportunity to develop and deliver training specific to their facility’s operation. “Facility specific training” allows staff the opportunity to learn more than just the basics of jail operation. It provides detailed training in the procedures and operation of their respective facility.

FACILITY TRAINING OFFICER REQUIREMENTS:

Each facility will designate at least one employee as the Facility Training Officer (FTO). This employee should be knowledgeable in the facility’s operation and able to deliver training to staff. This employee must have completed the 40-hour Basic Corrections Officer Training Course conducted by TCI.

The FTO is also required to attend a 40-hour FTO 3-T (“Train the Trainer”) Course delivered by the Tennessee Corrections Institute.  This training should be completed prior to the FTO’s delivery of any staff training and after completion of the 40-hour Basic Corrections Officer Course provided by TCI.   Annually thereafter, a minimum of one (1) FTO per agency is required to attend a 20-hour course of in-service instruction during the Correctional FTO Conference/Workshop designed specifically for FTO’s and delivered by the Tennessee Corrections Institute. They will receive credit for the 24 hours of training he/she delivers to the facility staff. Sixteen (16) hours of credit will also be given for attending the annual Jail Issues Conference.  Registration for all TCI provided training or conferences shall be completed on the FTACS (ACADIS) training records management system.

ANNUAL TRAINING REQUIREMENTS:

  1. TCI Minimum Standards require all new detention facility employees with custody or treatment responsibilities to receive 48 hours of Basic training within their first year of employment and 40 hours of In-Service training each calendar year thereafter, with each facility being responsible for the delivery of 24 hours of TCI approved training and the remaining 16 hours being delivered by the Tennessee Corrections Institute.
  2. TCI Minimum Standards require all new detention facility employees, support employees and non-facility support employees receive an orientation in the subjects outlined in 1400-01-.06 (3) A-J, prior to assuming any duties.
  3. TCI Minimum Standards require support employees who have contact with inmates receive 16 hours of facility provided training within their first year of employment and 16 hours of In-Service training each calendar year thereafter.
  4. TCI Minimum Standards require non-facility support staff who have contact with inmates receive 4 hours of facility provided training within their first year of employment and 4 hours of In-Service training each calendar year thereafter.
  5. All facility employees responsible for supervising suicide-prone inmates shall be trained annually on program expectations.  
  6. All facility employees who are authorized to use firearms and less lethal weapons shall receive basic and ongoing in-service training in the use of these weapons. Training shall include decontamination procedures for individuals exposed to chemical agents.
  7. Facilities shall maintain records on the types and hours of training completed by each correctional employee, support employee and non-facility support staff within the FTACS training database.
  8. Annual In-Service training is to be delivered in the calendar year beginning January 1 and ending December 31.

COURSE OF INSTRUCTION:

  1. Course curriculum should be based on the needs of the facility and must be germane to the job duties of the detention staff.
  2. It is recommended that all detention staff receive annual refresher training in First Aid and CPR, Policies & Procedures and Emergency Plans.
  3. Any curriculum provided to the facilities by TCI does not need to be approved in advance of the training.
  4. Any curriculum developed by the FTO or any curriculum solicited by the FTO from an outside source should be approved by TCI at least 30 days prior to training.
  5. Curriculum submitted for approval should include:
    1. Lesson plan format required by TCI
    2. A list of course objectives
    3. List of instructors and their qualifications to teach the course
    4. Length of time to cover course
    5. Information sufficient to support time parameters
    6. Reference information
  6. No course can be less than 1 hour in length.
  7. Standard courses such as First Aid, CPR, HIPAA (Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act) and Firearms Training for transport officers must be delivered by a certified instructor and need not be approved in advance.  Also approved statewide are Spanish for Correctional Officers, Bloodborne Pathogens, any Mental Health training provided by qualified mental health professionals, TBI fingerprinting, and TOMIS.
  8. TCI approved seminars and conferences may be used as In-Service training. In order to use seminar/conference session for In-Service credit, detailed seminar/conference material should be submitted to TCI for approval at least 30 days before the seminar/conference. This detailed information should include course synopsis, objectives, and duration of time to cover subject.
  9. The use of satellite/video conference training, web-based training, correspondence training, is permissible. The training must first be approved by TCI, it must not exceed 12 hours total for the training/calendar year, and it may only be used as a portion of the 24 hours of agency provided training.
  10. A facility may provide annual In-Service training in conjunction with another facility.
  11. Non-training waiver agencies may not attend training waiver agencies Basic Training in replacement of the TCI Basic training course. Transfer of employment from waiver to non-waiver agency or vice versa will be evaluated on a case by case basis as it relates to Basic training credits.
  12. Any correctional  facility that  has been deemed Non-Certified by the TCI Board of control will not be permitted to host official TCI training. This would include Basic Training, Annual In-Service, 3T Instructor Development, or any other training taught by or underwritten by TCI. This would not prevent that agency from hosting their own training, or TCI training provided via the CCP process, transitional training, or training intended to assist the agency/facility to regain compliance and certification.

MAINTENANCE AND SUBMISSION OF RECORDS:

  1. Each facility shall keep on file and within the TCI - FTACS (ACADIS) online training records management system, all TCI approved curriculum outlines (lesson plans) used in the delivery of In-Service training. These outlines should be submitted to TCI via the FTACS lesson plan module when curriculum approval is requested. Facilities should review and/or update curriculum/lesson plans within FTACS every two (2) years and this process will mirror the same approval protocol.  All curriculum approval, revisions and denials shall occur through the FTACS (ACADIS) training records management system.
  2. Attendance records and course completion hours are to be maintained by the FTO or Administrator designee for each employee receiving training. This record shall be maintained within the FTACS (ACADIS) training records management system. Local In-service training should be submitted within FTACS within seven (7) business days following the completion of the course.  All completed local In-service training shall be entered into FTACS by 11:59 pm on December 31st of each calendar year.
  3. In instances where facilities are providing In-Service training in conjunction with other facilities, it is the responsibility of the FTO from each facility to maintain and submit training attendance records for their employees.
  4. All records of training delivered directly by TCI will be maintained by TCI within the FTACS (ACADIS) training records management system.

TESTING REQUIREMENTS:

  1. The Tennessee Corrections Institute does not require a written test to be administered for agency provided training. It shall be the discretion of the FTO/agency, and shall adhere to the TCI pre-approved lesson plans.
  2. It is recommended that if testing is not utilized as a method of determining an employee’s comprehension of subject matter taught in In-Service training, the FTO should at least develop and administer an open-book questionnaire for each employee to complete. This questionnaire should then be reviewed in class by the FTO to ensure that all employees are knowledgeable of the material covered in the class. It is also recommended that each facility keep questionnaires on file in case legal issues or further questions should ever arise regarding what an employee was taught and understood regarding the specific training.

CERTIFICATION OF TRAINING:

  1. In addition to the 24 hours of training provided by the facility, each employee must also complete 16 hours of annual In-Service training delivered by the Tennessee Corrections Institute. Upon completion of both training courses, an employee will be deemed “certified” for the year.
  2. *Correctional Officers out of corrections for two (2) or more years, must re-take the Correctional Officer Basic Training Class to be deemed “re-certified”.  All Correctional Employees who do not maintain their Annual Certification requirements will be required to attend the 40-hour Basic Corrections Officer Training Course conducted by TCI as well as the 16 hours of Mandatory Annual In-Service delivered by the Tennessee Corrections Institute. After the successful completion of these two requirements, the Correctional Employee may regain their re-certified status. If the Correctional Employee is on active military leave this requirement may be waived. All other requests to waive this requirement will be reviewed on a case by case basis and must be submitted in writing to the Training Coordinator or the Deputy Director. Cases of FMLA or extenuating circumstances may be considered with verified documentation and other support evidence.
  3. An employee will not be deemed certified until his training record has been submitted within the FTACS (ACADIS) training records management system and approved by TCI as documentation of completion of training.
  4. The employee will be certified for the calendar year upon submission of all training records to TCI and once the 16-hours of TCI In-Service training has been completed. The completion certificate can be printed through the FTACS portal and the employee should be provided a copy for their record.  Basic Training and 3T course completion certificate originals should be given to the employee with the facility maintaining a copy.