NCJ Number
169524
Journal
Corrections Today Volume: 59 Issue: 7 Dated: (December 1997) Pages: 116-119
Date Published
1997
Length
4 pages
Annotation
This article describes the development and content of the National Institute of Corrections' curriculum that trains women corrections personnel for executive leadership.
Abstract
Following a needs assessment, three objectives were used to guide the curriculum development: provide executive leadership development for women in corrections; establish strategies for women's long-term promotional success; and facilitate planning that supports personal learning and career opportunities. Executive Leadership Training for Women was conducted for the first time in September 1994. Program participants were women who primarily reported to commissioners of corrections. Since 1994, additional phases have been designed to further enrich the long- term development of the graduate and her contribution to her agency. Most recently, a Phase III was created to include the chief executive officer. Phase I: Executive Leadership is a 5-day program that focuses on leadership development. Phase II: Strategic Leadership involves 3-day follow-up training from Phase I. This phase emphasizes strategic thinking, the leader's role in challenging and encouraging change within the organization, and the use of persuasion and consensual skills for managing change. Phase III: Organization Leadership focuses on the dynamics of the organization, especially the use of innovative problem-solving and the role of the executive team in creating effective vehicles for systemic change. The ongoing impact of the training program has been documented to motivate graduates in their leadership effectiveness, confirm the original goals of the program, and multiply the leadership capacity within the correctional and criminal justice communities.