Campaign launched to double the number of Intermediate Jailers in Texas

TEEX Public Safety and Security has announced a campaign to double the number of Texas county corrections officers who hold the Intermediate Jailer certificate by 2011. The campaign was launched on May at the annual meeting of the Texas Jail Association in Austin.

Currently, about 20,235 corrections and law enforcement personnel have achieved Basic Jailer status, and, of those, only about 28 percent have earned their Intermediate certificate from the Texas Commission on Law Enforcement Officer Standards and Education (TCLEOSE). The campaign is designed to provide Basic Jailers an opportunity for career advancement and to help fill the shortage of trained corrections personnel in Texas, said PS&S Division Director Tom Shehan.

To help provide training for those seeking the Intermediate Jailer certificate, PS&S offers four of the five required courses online for just $25 each. The interactive, online courses offer cost savings and standardization, as well as self-paced modules that accommodate different learning styles, said PS&S Training Director Kyle McNew. The courses were developed by TEEX’s e-Learning group and funded by the Office of the Governor, Texas Criminal Justice Division (TX CJD).

Additional funding from TX CJD will support the development of a 96-hour online and blended-learning Basic County Corrections (BCC) course, Shehan said. The online BCC is expected to be available by February 2010.