Corrections Community

This seems to be a never ending issue with Law Enforcement Training Departments . . . weighing out the constant battle of D.T. contact vs. injuries.

I need to know the following:

1. What type of D.T. training do you provide for your staff?
2. What level of contact is made between the following:  Instructor-Instructor, Instructor-Student, and Student-Student?
3. How does your agency deal with minor (bruising) to major (breaks) during D.T. training?
4. What percentage of power is used during training?  Does your agency allow 100% power contact . . . 50% . . . 10%?

Here is an example of our issues that we are dealing with . . .

Students report for PPCT training.  An instructor applies some of the techniques.  The student receives bruises.  Technically, this can be reported as a Workers Compensation injury.  Most never report minor bruising as an injury, BUT some do.

The amount of injuries that are "acceptable" is based upon the current administrative philosophy.  I need some sort of sample from other agencies to create a presentation on "acceptable" injuries during contact training.  Your assistance would be greatly appreciated.

Hi Jimmy Dugger,

This is Todd Lillard with the Oklahoma Ddepartment of Corrections Training Academy and I too am researching for the answers have you had any success?

1.) We currently provide a Self Defense program at the academy that has been developed from the FBOP system and Ok. CLEET system primarily. It is based on five basic principles and two concepts, that provides Self Defenses(9 basic techniques)  and or Counter Measures/escapes for attacks to your front, From the rear, and third party attacks. Please note this program is currently based on  a large portion of our agency frontline correctional security personell  Standard Operating Pocedure"Unwritten" of "No Routine Use of force option tools are readly available to frontline Correctional workers". Meaning the the biggest Majority of ODOC correctional officers and frontline staff do not carry in hand or on duty belt any type of force related equiptment in routine perofrmance of duties. 

2.) Currently The Instructor-student ratio is 10 to 1minimum standard. There is some contact between students and Instructor mostly student to student contact. Each move is appoached using a slideshow in class, with lecture type description, then followed up with an explained  demonstration, then students are slowly walked through each step of a given technique then guided through several practices, and finally evaluated on their performance of each technique. This corse is provided on a single piece wrestling style mat and 10 square feet per pair of students. We mop these three times per day with a 10% bleach solution. We also swab stike pads with same 10% solution.

3.) Currently the academy deals with injuries on a case by case basis, each being reported in writting to the facilitaor of the cadet class, based on minor injuries the student may request or deny immidiate medical attention, in. In serious cases the person is taken to an E.R. for futher evaluation. Then a copy of all documentation evolving from an injured employee are compiled and reviewed by a agency Safety Council.

4.) The amount of power and or speed in which a tech nique is shown or is demonstrated various on the stage of training it is, It begans at about 1% and can increase to about 50+/-% speed. Students are Instructed and graded closely trying to ensure the officer not loosing control of balance, momentom and subject! Teach control self before controling someone else!

5. Examples of the academy setting is the students are physically assessed in three assessments 1.5 mile run/walk, push-ups set-ups, and bend and reach stretching. then they are physically conditoned for 1hour 2 to 3 times a week for 4 weeks with Self Defense Training being the focal point of those training sessions. Then they do 40hours 4/ 10hour days, in the gym for Self Defense Training/ Evaluation. The academy has trained over 300 basic cadets so far this year with 29 known reported injuries. These reported (Included (2) spider bites (3) Overexertions, (1) broken bone lower leg bone with the remaining being sprains or strains to limbs. Less than 10% total trained reported being injured in anyway while at the academy. this is topic that has been ever increasing since the day back in 1991 when we stopped General Physical Testing of want to be employees, and Job Related Physical Testing  prior to passing the academy. I don't know that there is an exact answer to such an evolving subject. Oklahoma Dept. of Corrections has put a Committe together to research and explore, ways to reduce injuries. 

6.) So now that I have done my best to answer your questions please help me with these:

    1.) Does the Texas Department of Corrections have any physical standards for new hires? And if so what are they?

    2.) What does the TDC offer for CO/ PPO preservice students in reguards to self defense/ defensive tactics? 

   3.) Who certifies that curiculium? example In house certification or an outside certifying authorty?

  4.) Do Defense tactics/ Selfdefense Instructors have to be certified and do they have to maintain certification?

5.)   Do current employees have to maintain a physical standard to maintain employment or be able to promote?    

6. ) Did you ever have  physical standards CO/PPO had to pass to hire in or remain employeed as an Officer?

7.) If so has anyone did a comparision study on the rate of injuries and or claims from then to now? 

Todd - since I was involved in establishing the entry level physical ability standards for OK DOC in the early 1980's (I was the Academy director from 1980 - 1986), I am interested in why they were discontinued.

 Re the initial question - I have noticed that the majority of injuries occur not because of the defensive techniques but because of trainees horseplaying or instructors not following the approved lesson plan.

You were the Training Director of ODOC or Academy until 86? Linda Green/ Mike Parsons/Janice Seigrist/ Alex Mazon? So then you know who, what, when, where and why and how to get done again! Yes Awesome.

I think that this state as well as most took a look at what they thought would be law suits because there were "Phyiscal Standards" at  pre-employment offer stage? the standards were lowered in about 89/90 and then vanished in 91. I remember people jumping up and down in the late 80 about 8-9 % turn over rates last I check with no standards we are like over 30% That was the last I heard and we excpect to work witha guarntee 20% shortages. Yet the people are not as physically able to do...... and now we are seeing the law suits results of  not having the standards. Still my greatest concern is the criticality of teaching someone things to defend/ survive physical attacks!!! I committed to this agency to do all that I could to "KEEP THE WALLS BEAR", of ODOC names, Memorial wall for Officers killed in the line of duty, and I meant it! Help! 

My figures maybe skewed slightly but not much, and I  

Todd

I do remember all of them - Alex worked for me at the Academy when it was in beautiful downtown Taft.  I recall how much work it took to get the standards validated and how good the trainees were that we were getting.  When I came back to NC in '86, I brought the OKDOC material with me and after all these years of yelling, screaming and bitching, it looks like NCDOC is going to have entry level physical ability standards developed.  It will, admittedly, reduce the applicant pool but will also greatly reduce the workers comp payouts.

 BTW - Jim Saffle, Ron Ward and Justin Jones were all graduates of my Academy.

Michael,

 Thanks for your reply.

 1.) Does the Texas Department of Corrections have any physical standards for new hires? And if so what are they?

We never had pre-qualifications up until about 3 years ago, and that lasted about 9 months.  Just like almost everywhere else, we are shorthanded.  Some of our facilities are at 50% staffed.  That was the driving force to stop the pre-qualifications.  Of course, as we predicted, that did not solve the problem.  There are no talks for bringing it back any time soon.

 2.) What does the TDC offer for CO/ PPO preservice students in reguards to self defense/ defensive tactics? 

During their 200 hours of Pre-Service training, 30 hours are dedicated to D.T.  They receive training in the basic blocks, punches, elbows, kicks, releases, etc.  They are also introduced to PPCT.

 3.) Who certifies that curiculium? example In house certification or an outside certifying authorty?

All in house . . . We are divided up into six regions.  Each region has two D.T. Coordinators.  These 12 coordinators are trained by "experts".  The coordinators then return to their regions to train all D.T. trainers.  For example . . . last year we had a certified PPCT trainer come to us and certify our Regional Coordinators.  We also had the Texas Dept. of Public Safety main D.T. trainer come in and re-certify our Regional Coordinators.  We believe that this system will stand up, if tested.

4.) Do Defense tactics/ Selfdefense Instructors have to be certified and do they have to maintain certification?

Our D.T. Instructors are certified in three levels.  As explained above, the 12 Regional Coordinators are certified by experts in the field.  The other two levels are our D.T. line instructors.  We refer to them as Level-1 and Level-2 instructors.  Level-2 instructors go through the same course that the Regional Coordinators received, but taught by the R.C.s.  The Level-1s are our basic Line Instructors.  They are given a lessor course.  they cannot lead a class.  They can only walk through the ranks and make corrections during the training.  This gives us additional eyes during training with the hopes of reducing injuries.  It also allows for us to certify staff who might be capable of performing everything that a R.C> or a Level-2 are required to perform.

5.)   Do current employees have to maintain a physical standard to maintain employment or be able to promote?    

No.

6. ) Did you ever have  physical standards CO/PPO had to pass to hire in or remain employeed as an Officer?

As mentioned above . . . we did for about 9 months.  Prior to that, we only had a height/weight standard.  Currently, all requirements have been dropped.

7.) If so has anyone did a comparision study on the rate of injuries and or claims from then to now? 

During the 9-month period of our pre-quals, we did begin to notice that injuries were reduced with the fact that students were in obvious better shape.  The program was stopped before any studies could be introduced in favor/against the pre-quals.  If a report had been generated, it would have shown a reduction in injuries/claims.

Of course, it should be the mindset of the Training Department to only want quality officers to work with during training functions, but it has become an acceptable reality that there are just not enough "quality" applicants coming to see us for a job.  We are currently over 3000 officers short.  This is a major problem that will just not go away.  Our administration and our Human Resources groups are trying everything possible to send us bodies to train . . . and we train.

1.  We train staff in PPCT.

2.  Instructor will use students to demonstrate techniques.

3.  "Minor" bruising/injuries are generally documented on incident reports.  Though it is rare, "serious" injuries can be handled through workers comp.

4.  Student-student practice occurs using minimum compliance, for example, with arm bars and take downs.  Stikes are practiced but without actually hitting. 

Sorry for the delays I've been either teaching since our last or off for the holidays. I remeber you, I was a cadet. there for You probablly don't recall me. Yes, you did so much to gettting this state headed in the right direction. I've been looking for the studies of the correctional officer series and can't find them? I believe they might have been missed place oh say back in 91. I've never let it die though.Retention of quality folks has got to be better than the sheer numbers at this revolving door. Got any new ideas or approaches for me to try? Thanks for any help

Todd

Thanks for your response Hopkins.

It sounds like some of the same issues may have entered into our Gyms. Working on ways to ensure quality does not find away out of training Officers how to defend.