Jail Operations
The Jail Operations Section's primary responsibilities include directing and managing the correspondence courses for jail officers and first/second line jail supervisors, responding to technical assistance requests as they pertain to the operation of jails, distributing and invoicing for publications, and providing jail certification, jail assessments and general jail information.
Jail Correspondence Training Programs
Thousands of students have graduated from the Jail Officer's Training Program and the First/Second Line Supervisor's Training Program, and the success of these programs continues to flourish. From the volume of informational requests received daily about these programs, we anticipate continued growth as public safety and criminal justice agencies become increasingly aware of the ongoing training needed to carry out their duties. Click here to learn more about these Jail Correspondence Training Programs.
Technical Assistance and Requests for JAIL Information
The requests for assistance received by this section vary from someone seeking policies relating to major events/community functions, use of force, work release, or vehicular pursuit; to a sheriff's department requesting information on sources of funding for building a new jail. This section responds to these requests by either furnishing the jail information available through NSA or by referring callers to the appropriate agency that can provide the jail information sought. It has always been and will continue to be the goal of this section to respond to the numerous requests in a timely manner. Email NSA's Jail Operations Section or call (800) 424-7827 for jail assistance and requests.
Additional Jail Information Resources, including jail
certification and jail assessments
American Correctional Association (ACA)
American Jail Association (AJA)
Bureau of Justice Assistance (BJA)
Bureau of Justice Statistics (BJS)
National Institute of Corrections (NIC)
Prison Rape Elimination Act (PREA) – PREA is a Federal law established in 2003 to address the elimination and prevention of sexual assault and rape in correctional systems. PREA applies to all federal, state, and local prisons, jails, police lock-ups, private facilities, and community settings such as residential facilities. Learn how PREA affects you and your law enforcement agency.
Report on Rape in Jails in the U.S. (pdf)
Continuity of Operations Planning for Sheriffs Final Report (pdf)
The Future is Now: Recruiting, Retaining and Developing the 21st Century Jail Workforce - With funding from the U. S. Department of Justice, Office of Justice Programs, Bureau of Justice Assistance (BJA), the Center for Innovative Public Policies, Inc. (CIPP) has produced the final pre-publication draft of The Future is Now. Primarily developed as a toolkit to help jails address workforce-related issues, this document can also be used to keep funding law enforcement authorities, policy-makers, community groups, and other stakeholders informed about these critical homeland security issues. Preparation of The Future is Now was guided by a national advisory panel of sheriffs and jail administrators representing jails of varying size, location, and organizational structure throughout the country.