Gary Cornelius

Talks About Training

Lt. Gary F. Cornelius retired in 2005 from the Fairfax County (VA) Office of the Sheriff, after serving over 27 years in the Fairfax County Adult Detention Center. His prior service in law enforcement included service in the United States Secret Service Uniformed Division. His jail career included assignments in confinement, work release, programs, planning/ policy and classification.

He has taught corrections courses for George Mason University since 1986. He also teaches corrections in service sessions throughout Virginia, and has performed training and consulting for the American Correctional Association, the American Jail Association and the National Institute of Justice. His latest book, The Correctional Officer: A Practical Guide: Third Edition will be published later this year by Carolina Academic Press. He has authored several other books about corrections including The American Jail: Cornerstone of Modern Corrections, 2008 from Pearson Prentice Hall, The Art of the Con: Avoiding Offender Manipulation, Second Edition, 2009, and Stressed Out: Strategies for Living and Working in Corrections, Second Edition, 2005, both available from the American Correctional Association.

Gary received a Distinguished Alumnus Award in Social Science from his alma mater, Edinboro University of Pennsylvania and an Instructor Appreciation Award from George Mason University. He is an independent freelance correctional author and trainer. Gary serves on the Board of Directors of the International Association of Correctional Training Personnel (IACTP) representing local adult corrections. He can be reached at 571-233-0912 or at adjinstructor@hotmail.com.

Full list of Gary Cornelius results

The 4 Cs of inmate management
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Maintaining order involves more than just searching and counting inmates and performing inspections. It involves understanding your inmate population
Identifying and managing the rogue corrections officer
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Taking a “wait and see” approach or assuming the officer will improve on their own sends the message that the behavior is acceptable
Transgender inmates: Treating them fairly, keeping them safe
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In addition to the risk of depression and suicide, transgender people experience sexual violence, harassment and other adverse conditions at higher rates than the general population
Cultural diversity training in corrections: Time for a new perspective
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Cultural diversity training in corrections must do more than identify differences — it must include strategies for defusing racial tension
Fallout: The stress of 'working short' in corrections
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We may not be able to resolve all the root causes of staff shortages in corrections, but there are steps that can help alleviate the problem
Doing the right thing: The importance of ethics in corrections
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Ethics in corrections is paramount to preventing harm to inmates, ensuring officer safety and protecting the community
The "smooth shift": The dream of every correctional officer
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Correctional officers want nothing more than a "smooth shift," which requires firm, fair and consistent inmate interaction
The forgotten staff: Training civilians and volunteers in corrections
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If civilians do not have good training, the security network of the institution suffers
12 strategies for combating burnout in corrections
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Reach out your hand to others, and do not slap their hands away
Symptoms and effects of burnout in corrections
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If we let stress eat at us, simmering with negative thoughts and anger, we can burn out
What I learned from a 27-year jail career
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Regardless of the advancements in jail technology, working in corrections means you have to deal with people — which is the most fulfilling part of the job
Causes of burnout in corrections
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Burnout is not a cliché. There is a lot behind the word — and correctional officers, from the newbies to the veterans, should know more about it
Inmate violence: Countermeasures and controls
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You never know what is going on in the mind of inmates
Be aware, be smart, be safe: Correctional officer safety
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Wherever you interact with criminal offenders, there is a real danger of assault, attempted escape and the necessity to control offenders by force
3 types of interactions between the trainer and the 'new boot’
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The relationship between any field trainer and a recruit should start by them building a rapport with each other based on mutual respect
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