Welcome to National Institute for Jail Operations

The National Institute for Jail Operations (NIJO) is dedicated to serving those who operate jails, detention and correctional facilities across the country. NIJO recognizes and understands the enormous liability and increasing litigation facing administrators. We provide a compilation of legal-based resources and information to assist agencies in making facilities safer and more secure, helping you proactively defend against frivolous litigation to protect against adverse publicity and liability.

Our Services

Professional Certification

NIJO Professional Certification is a professional designation – earned not issued – for jail and detention officers, supervisors, administrators and sheriffs who have demonstrated to possess the requisite understanding, knowledge, skills, experience and abilities to function to a specific level.

Legal-Based Training

By keeping pulse with the hottest issues facing our nation's jails, we focus on important training topics yet remain flexible to adapt training based upon the needs of requesting agencies/organizations. There are many resources available to assist with the implementation of specific training, the development and assistance of jail training

Policy and Procedure

NIJO has partnered with DeLand & Associates to provide sheriffs and jail administrators with over 400 policies and procedures customized to your laws, state statutes, and individual operations.

Technical Assistance

Recognizing the need for legal technical assistance in the corrections field, NIJO offers a variety of services to assist agencies in successfully supporting the operations of the jail and defending against inmate-filed lawsuits.

Self Audit and Assessments

On a day-to-day basis corrections management faces an unpredictable, fluid, and potentially volatile environment. NIJO offers the most advanced web-based auditing tools designed specifically for corrections so that organizations can proactively manage their institutions affordably and with increased confidence.

Online Training

NIJO developed the Detention & Corrections Online Training Academy (DACOTA) to provide detention and correctional administrators, supervisors and line level officers with easy access to interactive and engaging legal-based online jail training.

NIJO Accreditation

NIJO National Accreditation is an established process to verify compliance to what courts have determined in operating constitutional facilities. The process relies on NIJO Legal-Based Jail Guidelines.

Legal-Based Jail Guidelines

NIJO's Legal-Based Jail Guidelines assist administrators in creating a safer, more secure environment while protecting against liability and adverse publicity. Comprised of over 600 guidelines to assist administrators with specific operational and policy driven areas including hot topics of use of force, religion, searches, and suicide.

JAILCON 20/20 SPECIAL EDITION Virtual Conference
September 7 - September 30 at JAILCON 20/20 Special Edition – Virtual Conference
NEW DATES: Michigan Jail Command Staff Academy: Session #2
September 29 @ 8:00 am - October 1 @ 5:00 pm at Henry Center for Executive Development
ACCA Alabama Jail Training Academy: Jail Administrators Course-Mental Health
October 14 - October 15 at Montgomery Marriott Legends at Capitol Hill
NEW DATES: Michigan Jail Command Staff Academy: Session #3
October 27 @ 8:00 am - October 29 @ 5:00 pm at Henry Center for Executive Development
Kansas Jail Training Academy (KJTA) – November 9-13, 2020
November 9 - November 13 at Kansas Law Enforcement Training Center (KLETC)

Expert Blog

NIJO Case Brief: Barnes v. Ahlman , 591 U. S. ____ (2020)

By Tate McCotter, NIJO Executive Director Case Title and ...
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Litigation Alert: The Coronavirus (COVID-19), Prisons, and the 8th Amendment

Prison officials and correctional healthcare providers are doing their ...
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SHUT THE FRONT DOOR: Using Common Sense to COVID-19 During Uncommon Times

By Tate McCotter, Executive Director National Institute for Jail ...
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Changing for the Better by Understanding Where We Are Now: Salt Lake County Jail Dashboard

Years of data, and months of development in the ...
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Crisis and Conflict: Federal vs. State and Local Law Enforcement

by Stan Ellsworth I believe The Constitution to be ...
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Striving for Perfection

By Michael Feeback There is one word that has ...
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Featured Spotlight

Largest Corrections Conference in History

On September 8th, 2020, NIJO kicked off JAILCON 20/20 National Corrections Conference with an Opening Session with special guest Danny Glick Sheriff of Laramie County and past President of the National Sheriffs' Association. With the support of many sponsors, and our expert instructors, NIJO has been able to bring over 50 CEUS of legal-based training to over 200 agencies across the country, making it the largest corrections conference in history!

LEGAL-BASED TRAINING AT YOUR FINGERTIPS

Did you know NIJO legal-based training is available right at your fingertips? DACOTA provides corrections professionals with the most interactive and engaging online training available. With over 40 courses and 4-5 NEW courses being added every month, you can find the training you and your agency need today! Get a FREE demo by clicking here.

OVER 40 GRADUATE FROM KJTA August Session

Despite the challenges with COVID-19, over 40 corrections officers successfully graduated from the August session of the Kansas Jail Training Academy (KJTA) at the Kansas Law Enforcement Training Center. NIJO instructors packed over 40 hours of legal-based training into this week-long event for new officers. Congratulations to the August KJTA graduates!