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Our Mission To advance public safety by shaping and enhancing correctional policies and practices through leadership, learning, and innovation. Our VisionJust Processes, Effective Systems, Safe Communities NIC Office Locations NIC Main Office 400 First St NW NIC Academy and Information Center 11900 East Cornell Avenue
Agency Overview The National Institute of Corrections (NIC) stands as a pillar of public safety in America, embodying a mission critical to the well-being of our communities and the integrity of our justice system. As the only federal agency with a legislative mandate Public Law 93-41.5 to provide specialized corrections services on a national scale, NIC plays an indispensable role in shaping practices that protect citizens and uphold justice. Unlike other agencies, NIC doesn’t simply allocate funds, it delivers direct, hands-on expertise to address the pressing needs of correctional practitioners at every level. Whether working with state and local correctional facilities, the Federal Bureau of Prisons, or policymakers in Congress, NIC’s focus is clear: to ensure that corrections systems operate efficiently, effectively, and with the highest regard for public safety. Its leadership is evident in its partnerships across federal agencies and its ability to respond to emerging challenges in corrections with innovative solutions. NIC’s work is grounded in practical outcomes that make a tangible difference. From aiding in the planning and operation of jails and prisons to establishing best practices in pretrial, probation, and parole, NIC’s efforts drive cost-effective improvements that enhance security and accountability. These initiatives don’t just benefit correctional facilities. They contribute directly to safer neighborhoods by ensuring that systems are built to rehabilitate offenders while protecting the public. Respected across the corrections community for its professionalism and results-driven approach, NIC is a model of what government agencies can achieve when they prioritize service. Its commitment to raising standards nationwide has earned it recognition as a trusted partner in safeguarding American values and ensuring justice for all. Public safety isn’t just a talking point. It’s the foundation of our society. Through its unwavering dedication to this principle, NIC exemplifies what it means to serve the common good.
Who Does NIC Help? NIC's primary audience is anyone employed in a federal, state, local, or tribal corrections agency in the United States. Our secondary target audience is anyone in the US who is interested in the field of corrections. To remain responsive to the field NIC continuously monitors the needs of correctional practitioners. This is done through various formal and informal strategies. Among these are online needs assessments, surveys, environmental scans, plus general and topical hearings. Monitoring NIC's online forums, the proceedings from network meetings, and feedback through training and technical assistance evaluations is another source of assessment information.
How Do We Strive to Fulfill Our Mission? Most staff at NIC are former directors of departments of corrections, wardens, deputy wardens, jail administrators, and probation chiefs, which equates to a wealth of corrections experience and knowledge under the umbrella of one agency. NIC serves its customers by: We provide technical assistance to state and local corrections to address their specific needs, coming to agencies to evaluate processes and lead trainings. Technical assistance is provided in response to requests from sheriffs, jail administrators, directors of state correctional departments, judges, chiefs of probation and parole, and county administrators among others. On site technical assistance uses experts from the field and NIC staff. It often results in the identification of gaps in policy and practice, the development of strategic plans with an emphasis on organizational and system-wide alignment, and includes working with all involved stakeholders. Assistance is designed uniquely for requesting jurisdictions and requests are fulfilled in a timely fashion. We award cooperative agreements that result in partnerships between NIC and the awardee NIC uses cooperative agreements to conduct much of the planning, development, and implementation of its strategic plan. Through cooperative agreements, we award funds to support our program initiatives. These often have utility well beyond a single agency. We provide otherwise unavailable training to corrections practitioners at all organizational levels Training is a primary vehicle through which NIC delivers its products, programs, and services to the field of corrections. We use a variety of delivery strategies, including classroom, blended (in-person and virtual), webinar, virtual instructor-led training, and live internet broadcasts. NIC is known for quality leadership training for prisons, probation, parole, and jail leadership. For more information, please refer to the NIC Report to the Nation. We provide networks for sharing information and solutions through jails, prisons, and community corrections NIC regularly convenes leaders from similar correctional functions for the purpose of shared learning and information exchange. The primary objective of networking is to make opportunities available for informed discussion among members by providing places, time, and staff support for meetings. The target audience for networks includes correctional executives from the state, local and federal levels. We host a Congressionally mandated, corrections-specific library and information center that can quickly survey the field for urgent answers The NIC Library and Information Center contains cataloged documents developed by NIC and partner agencies. The collection also includes online access to e-books and databases. Information Center staff are available to help correctional personnel identify appropriate resources related to their topics of inquiry (e.g., how to manage jail overcrowding or how to validate a risk-and-need assessment instrument), and to link them to other resources. The Information Center also generates annual publications dealing with topical issues of interest to the field of corrections. The NIC Information Center is located at the National Corrections Academy, along with the NIC’s Training Center and the Federal Bureau of Prison's Management and Specialty Training Center, providing to national support to training and services. Over 8,000 individual requests for research assistance and correctional resources are processed by the Center each year. We develop partnerships that are cost effective and lead to increased level of service NIC engages in partnerships and interagency agreements with national organizations and federal agencies to share expertise, avoid duplication and provide expanded services in a cost effective manner. As an example, a Memorandum Of Understanding between BJA, OJJDP, OJP, NIC, CMHS, CSAT and SAMSHA) was established to "provide a framework for the federal agencies to plan, coordinate, and share the design and implementation of interagency efforts to improve the response to people with substance abuse disorders, mental health disorders, or co-occurring disorders who are involved or at risk of involvement with the criminal and juvenile justice system." To carry out this work, NIC engaged in a multi-year cooperative agreement with the Council of State Governments. We also provide research and evaluation guidance and data collection. (责任编辑：) |
