High-intensity training at Kirkconnell for new prison recruits

Last published on 07 May 2021 

The Central West’s newest crop of custodial recruits have been put through their paces during high-intensity simulations at Kirkconnell Correctional Centre’s new training facility.

A group of 23 men and women participated in life-saving ‘officer down’ response training at the purpose-built facility today.

Kirkconnell Manager of Security Dale Ashcroft said the centre had recently constructed two training cells to facilitate the scenario-based training in the Central West.

“These recruits will be working in our Central West prisons so it’s an advantage for us to be able to train them here too,” Mr Ashcroft said.

“Our centre recently updated our existing classrooms and built two training cells with overhead viewing platforms to facilitate the scenario-based training.

“Correctional officers work in difficult and often volatile environments so it’s important they have the skills and confidence to react to situations as they unfold.”

The new recruits come from a variety of career backgrounds including mining, security and business and will soon be placed at Central West prisons for a minimum of nine months of on-the-job training.

The 11 women and 12 men have already participated in 10 weeks of face-to-face primary training, which covers legislation, policies, security, inmate management, incident response, cultural diversity and mental health awareness.

Training within the correctional centres involves ongoing development and mentoring, including enhancing skills to interact with offenders to improve their chances of rehabilitation. On completion trainees receive the Certificate III in Correctional Practice.

Brush Farm Corrective Services Academy Director Joshua Sampson said the simulations are essential to officers being able to operate efficiently in high-pressure environments.

“The scenario-based exercises involve trainees practising how to manage violent offenders and respond to a range of critical incidents,” Mr Sampson said.

“Correctional officers face a variety of challenging circumstances where they are required to react quickly and use conflict negotiation skills to de-escalate volatile situations.

“These exercises expose our new recruits to real-world conditions and train them to respond safely and effectively.”

Kirkconnell Correctional Centre is a minimum-security prison, housing about 200 male inmates, and is located in the Central West between Lithgow and Bathurst.