Prison Intelligence Course

Lesson 1 • Intelligence Unit Structure and Roles

Maps the organizational structure of a prison intelligence unit and defines each position's responsibilities. Students understand how roles interact to produce intelligence products.

Lesson 2 • Legal and Ethical Framework

Covers the legal authorities, privacy rights, and ethical obligations governing intelligence activities. Establishes compliance boundaries students must respect throughout the course.

Lesson 3 • The Correctional Intelligence Environment

Defines the unique security and social dynamics inside correctional facilities. Grounds students in the operational context before introducing analytical methods.

Lesson 1 • Collection Planning and Tasking

Teaches how to develop a structured collection plan aligned with intelligence requirements. Students prioritize collection assets and assign tasks to fill information gaps.

Lesson 2 • Communications Monitoring

Addresses lawful interception and review of inmate correspondence, phone calls, and electronic messaging. Students apply monitoring procedures within authorized legal boundaries.

Lesson 3 • Open Source and Digital Collection

Introduces collection from publicly available digital sources including social media and court records. Students evaluate open source data for relevance and credibility.

Lesson 4 • Physical and Environmental Surveillance

Teaches observation techniques, post placement, and physical monitoring within facility grounds. Students learn to document observations in formats usable by analysts.

Lesson 1 • Classification and Handling of Records

Establishes how to classify intelligence records by sensitivity and control their distribution. Students apply handling procedures that protect sources and operational security.

Lesson 2 • Chain of Custody for Intelligence

Explains documentation requirements that preserve the evidentiary integrity of intelligence materials. Students practice chain-of-custody procedures applicable to disciplinary and criminal proceedings.

Lesson 3 • Database Entry and Management

Teaches correct data entry practices and database hygiene for intelligence management systems. Accurate records enable efficient retrieval and pattern detection in later analysis.

Lesson 1 • Geospatial and Temporal Mapping

Applies location-based analysis to identify hotspots, movement patterns, and incident clustering. Students use mapping tools to visualize intelligence data across facility zones.

Lesson 2 • Threat and Risk Assessment

Provides frameworks for rating the likelihood and impact of identified threats. Students produce written threat assessments that guide resource allocation and preventive action.

Lesson 3 • Structured Analytical Techniques

Introduces proven structured methods that reduce cognitive bias and improve analytical rigor. Students apply each technique to correctional intelligence scenarios.

Lesson 4 • Link and Association Analysis

Teaches construction and interpretation of link charts to map relationships among subjects. Students identify key nodes, brokers, and vulnerabilities within inmate networks.

Lesson 1 • STG Intelligence Products

Teaches production of gang-specific intelligence reports, profiles, and threat assessments. Students integrate link analysis and threat rating into finished STG products.

Lesson 2 • Security Threat Group Identification

Defines security threat groups and the criteria used to classify inmates as members or associates. Students apply identification criteria to case files and intake documentation.

Lesson 3 • Gang Communication and Coded Language

Covers the methods gangs use to communicate covertly, including codes, symbols, and hand signals. Students decode sample communications and identify concealment techniques.

Lesson 4 • Gang Activity and Threat Indicators

Identifies behavioral and environmental indicators of gang-directed activity and planned violence. Students apply indicator checklists to facility incident reports.

Lesson 1 • Interdiction Intelligence Support

Teaches how intelligence products are used to plan and execute contraband interdiction operations. Students develop targeting packages that guide search and seizure activities.

Lesson 2 • Contraband Types and Trafficking Methods

Catalogs contraband categories and the methods used to introduce them into facilities. Students recognize trafficking indicators across mail, visits, staff, and perimeter channels.

Lesson 3 • Financial Intelligence in Corrections

Covers analysis of inmate accounts, outside financial transactions, and money movement linked to contraband. Students identify financial indicators of trafficking and corruption.

Lesson 1 • Group Violence and Riot Intelligence

Covers intelligence indicators of collective violence, disturbances, and organized uprisings. Students analyze pre-incident intelligence to support emergency response planning.

Lesson 2 • Threat Assessment for Individuals

Applies structured threat assessment protocols to evaluate specific individuals who pose violence risk. Students distinguish between transient and substantive threats and recommend management actions.

Lesson 3 • Violence Risk Factors and Indicators

Identifies individual and environmental factors that elevate violence risk in correctional settings. Students apply risk factor checklists to inmate profiles and housing unit assessments.

Lesson 4 • Protective Intelligence for Staff

Addresses intelligence collection and analysis focused on threats directed at correctional staff. Students develop protective intelligence products and threat mitigation recommendations.

Lesson 1 • Producing Strategic Assessments

Teaches the structure, sourcing, and argumentation of long-form strategic intelligence assessments. Students draft a facility-level strategic assessment integrating multiple analytical products.

Lesson 2 • Briefing Senior Decision-Makers

Develops skills for delivering concise, evidence-based intelligence briefings to facility leadership. Students practice verbal and visual briefing formats under realistic time constraints.

Lesson 3 • Strategic Versus Tactical Intelligence

Distinguishes strategic intelligence products from tactical and operational outputs. Students align product type to the decision-making level of the intended audience.

Lesson 4 • Intelligence Program Evaluation

Provides methods for assessing the effectiveness and efficiency of a correctional intelligence program. Students apply evaluation criteria to identify gaps and recommend program improvements.