News
Ontario launches redesigned training program for corrections officers
New curriculum includes focus on mental health training
January 13, 2020 By Staff
Ontario is launching its Corrections Foundational Training program today, a redesigned curriculum to educate and prepare the province’s incoming correctional officers. This new training will “give staff the tools they need to plan and build a career in corrections, as well as meet the needs of a modern correctional system.”
Corrections Foundational Training replaces the former Correctional Officer Training and Assessment program and offers an increased focus on key areas such as human rights, mental health, health and safety, and teamwork. The new training program has been redesigned to include more job-specific case studies and scenario-based learning, as well as an emphasis on communication and de-escalation skills. The first group of students will begin the program today and develop skills over the next eight weeks.
“Staff safety and training is very important to me and to our government,” said Solicitor General Sylvia Jones. “This course will teach the skills our frontline officers need to succeed in a modern corrections environment.”
Staff feedback was integral to the reshaping of the entire program, including its name. The new curriculum also addresses concerns raised about the previous training program by various stakeholders, reports and coroners’ inquests, according to the government.
Print this page
