The Bureau of Justice Assistance (BJA) is addressing workforce development issues in corrections by providing funds to the Council of State Governments/American Probation and Parole Association (CSG/APPA) to develop and implement the Discover Corrections website. This innovative project will be a collaborative effort overseen by core project team of corrections stakeholders including APPA, the American Correctional Association (ACA), American Jail Association (AJA) and the Center for Innovative Public Policies (CIPP).

Discover Corrections will establish a central location on the Internet for job-seekers and students to learn about entry and advanced level careers in corrections, locate job opportunities available in correctional agencies nationwide, and enhance strategies to improve the effectiveness and retention of correctional employees. Specifically, it will be a comprehensive, user-friendly website that provides information about corrections careers; provides in-depth accurate information that describes the real content of jobs in corrections provided by those who do the job every day; identifies qualifications for corrections careers; discusses second career options; provides information for those pursuing Associate or Bachelor’s degrees in criminal justice and other related majors; enables recruiters to share information; and connects interested persons to job openings.

The first year of this project will focus on the planning, design, and development of the site. The core project team members—with input from other corrections stakeholders—will create a shared message, logo and tagline for the website; create a final design for the website; and develop initial content for the website. It is anticipated that the site will be populated with the initial content and be in the alpha testing phase by the conclusion of the first year of the project.

More information available from the APPA website.