By Sharon Goudy
MPR Project Manager
MOUNDSVILLE, W.V. -- The 2011 Mock Prison Riot (MPR) scheduled for 1-4 May at the decommissioned West Virginia Penitentiary in Moundsville will offer a host of new workshops and the event’s first-ever international tactical training scenario collaboration.
Held each spring, the Mock Prison Riot is a four-day law enforcement and corrections (LEC) tactical and technology experience, which includes 40,000 square feet of exhibit space, training scenarios, technology demonstrations, technology assessments and evaluations, certification workshops, a Skills Competition sponsored by the West Virginia Division of Corrections, and unlimited opportunities for feedback, networking, and camaraderie on a global scale.
This year marks the 15th anniversary of the Mock Prison Riot.
“For 2011, there are several workshops on the schedule that have not been offered at the Mock Prison Riot before,” said Sharon Goudy, project manager for scenarios and workshops. “Of course, we still have many core workshops that are always in demand, but for 2011 we added several different offerings designed to reach more practitioners.”
New topics include: close quarter battle tactics; recognizing inmate manipulation; intruder response; high risk transport; hand cuffing and restraints, and instructor development, among others. (For a complete list of workshops, please visit www.mockprisonriot.org and click on the “Workshops” tab.)
“So far, there are 25 workshops on the MPR schedule, 12 of which will result in free certifications for participants,” Goudy said. “That’s quite a savings for departments that operate on limited budgets. We are thankful to the many instructors who volunteer their time and expertise to offer these workshops during the MPR. They are providing a great service to the LEC community.”
The Mock Prison Riot, which is funded by the National Institute of Justice, is an initiative of the West Virginia High Technology Consortium (WVHTC) Foundation, a Fairmont, WV-based 501(c)(3) non-profit corporation. There is no charge to attend and participate in any aspect of the Mock Prison Riot.
Also on this year’s schedule is the first-ever scenario collaboration between foreign teams. Canada’s Ministry of Corrections will partner with the Lake Erie (Ohio) Correctional Institution to execute a tactical training scenario in the Penitentiary’s North Yard.
“The LEC practitioners who attend the MPR consistently tell us that networking and collaboration are very important to them,” Goudy said. “The national and international teams appreciate opportunities to learn from one another, whether it involves tactics, technology, or procedures. We are very excited to have the Ministry of Corrections and Lake Erie execute a scenario together.”
At the heart of every Mock Prison Riot are the technologies that exhibitors provide for deployment, demonstration, and evaluation.
“Some of our primary evaluative efforts this year will focus on biometric technologies,” said Mike Lucey, project manager for technology evaluations. “The feedback we capture during the MPR is tremendously effective because the conditions for deployment and demonstration here are so realistic. Practitioners who participate in technology evaluation efforts during the MPR are really contributing to the future design of LEC technologies around the world.”
So far there are more than 80 exhibitors who will showcase multiple products and technologies at the 2011 Mock Prison Riot, and there’s still room for more.
“We have the best exhibitors,” said Cindy Barone, project manager of the technology showcase. “They are extremely accommodating to tactical teams who wish to deploy their technologies in scenarios. They really go above and beyond to give the practitioners a hands-on experience while they are here.”
Attendees come from all over the world to experience the Mock Prison Riot. In addition to the United States and Canada, representatives from the following countries are registered to attend: Bahamas, Singapore, Brazil, Australia, Israel, Portugal, and the Republic of Estonia.
For more information about the 2011 Mock Prison Riot or to register, please visit www.mockprisonriot.org.