BASIC COUNTY CORRECTIONS COURSE #1120
The jails in Texas are primarily county jails operated by the sheriff of each county under the rules and guidance of the Texas Commission on Jail Standards (TCJS). It should be noted that some jails in Texas are operated through contracted vendors.
As a jailer, you are entering a challenging and demanding element of the criminal justice system. You will be interacting with persons who represent a wide variety of ethnic and social backgrounds. This interaction will require expertise and training to develop the skills necessary to obtain the additional information regarding the social characteristics of the jail population.
The population in the jail is taking on an ever-changing face. Couple this with the changing demographics of our society and the challenges for a jailer become more demanding. Individuals often have different values, standards of conduct, and religious practices that may be unfamiliar. It is the responsibility of the jailer to learn as much as possible about varying cultures, customs, and lifestyles in order to provide fair and humane treatment.
The Basic County Corrections Course (BCC) was developed with the following objectives in mind for you as a professional jailer:
- To feel secure in your job.
- To be able to respond in a professional manner to as many known situations as can reasonably be expected to occur.
- To prevent the escape of persons placed in your custody.
- To understand that the violation of any constitutional right of an inmate will have the highest potential for personnel or agency liability.
- To hold yourself in high esteem.
- To be acquainted with the diversity and cultural differences of individuals you will be interacting with in your custody.
- To always seek ethical practices and insist that all others conduct themselves in an ethical manner.
- To encourage the development of friendships outside the jail environment – those persons with high standards of conduct and common interest, with you and your family, will be the critical balance you need in your life to sustain you and your family.
You are to be commended for selecting this profession, as your skills, education, and training will be an invaluable asset to your county.
The instructors who facilitate this course will be mandated to conduct a minimum of 120 training hours. The objective is to prepare the student as a basic jailer with the information required to pass the state licensing exam. The individual may then enter the county jail facility with the basic skills and confidence to accomplish their assigned tasks in the most professional manner.