Course Description

This seminar is an intensive 5-day professional development course designed for correctional professionals responsible for the administration, oversight, and management of detention facilities. As correctional environments continue to evolve, jail administrators face increasing demands related to inmate mental health, staffing, liability, resource management, operational effectiveness, and organizational accountability.

This course explores contemporary issues impacting jail operations and provides participants with practical tools and evidence-informed strategies to improve facility performance while maintaining a safe, secure, and legally compliant environment. Through facilitated discussions, case studies, and applied learning activities, participants will examine jail administration through the lenses of operational management, risk reduction, fiscal stewardship, policy development, and organizational culture.

Topics include transformational approaches to organizational improvement, inmate mental health considerations, budgeting and resource allocation, jail operations and policy management, legal standards and liability, Section 1983 civil rights litigation, and the application of lessons learned from real-world correctional case studies.

Core Competency

Participants will demonstrate the ability to effectively administer a detention facility by integrating operational management, legal compliance, risk mitigation, fiscal stewardship, and evidence-based correctional practices to promote safe, secure, efficient, and accountable jail operations.

Learning Objectives

Upon successful completion of this course, participants will be able to:

1. Assess organizational practices and identify opportunities to improve accountability, safety, and operational effectiveness within a detention facility.
2. Evaluate inmate mental health challenges and implement strategies that support staff safety, inmate well-being, and appropriate facility responses.
3. Apply budgeting and resource management principles to effectively allocate personnel, equipment, and fiscal resources while maintaining operational efficiency.
4. Analyze jail policies, procedures, and operational practices to enhance facility safety, security, and organizational performance.
5. Interpret legal standards, constitutional requirements, and risk management principles applicable to detention facility operations.
6. Examine the causes and consequences of Section 1983 civil rights litigation and identify strategies to reduce organizational liability and legal exposure.
7. Apply lessons learned from correctional case studies to improve decision-making, problem-solving, and administrative practices within detention facilities.

Who Should Attend: 

• Jail Administrators
• Assistant Jail Administrators
• Undersheriffs with detention responsibilities
• Corrections Command Staff
• Corrections Supervisors
• Personnel responsible for detention facility operations, policy development, and organizational management

Course Requirements:

• 100% attendance and participation
• Laptop computer with Wi-Fi capability
• Pen and notebook for note-taking

Fitness Requirements and Expectations: SEDENTARY

This course is classroom-based and requires prolonged periods of sitting, discussion, and participation in group learning activities. No strenuous physical activity is required.

ADA Statement: Individuals with disabilities are encouraged to attend University of Kansas-sponsored events. If you require a reasonable accommodation to participate in an event, please email KLETC or call 620.694.1400 at least three weeks before the first day of the event. Some events may require notice earlier than three weeks and require you to contact a specific individual; if so, that information is provided in the event-specific information.

Notice of Availability of the KLETC Annual Security and Fire Safety Report: The University of Kansas has determined that the Kansas Law Enforcement Training Center (KLETC) main campus in Hutchinson and its regional sites in Dodge City, Hays, and Parsons are separate campuses. This determination was made in consultation with the Department of Education. The report is available online at: https://civilrights.ku.edu/clery. The report contains information regarding campus safety and security including topics such as: campus law enforcement authority; crime reporting policies; campus alerts (Timely Warnings and Emergency Notifications); fire safety policies and procedures; programs to prevent sexual assault, domestic violence, dating violence, and stalking; the procedures the institution will follow when one of these crimes is reported; and other matters of importance related to security on campus. The report also contains information about crime statistics for the three most recent calendar years concerning reported crimes that occurred On-Campus; in On-Campus Student Housing Facilities; in Non-Campus buildings or property owned or controlled by the institution or a recognized student organization; and on Public Property within, or immediately adjacent to and accessible from, the campus. The report also contains fire statistics for any fires occurring in an On-Campus Student Housing Facility during the three most recent calendar years.  A paper copy of the report will be provided upon request. If you would like to receive a paper copy, you can request that a copy be mailed to you by calling 785-864-6414 or emailing civilrights@ku.edu or arrange for pick-up at a KLETC location.