Correctional Education Academy
A complete, self-paced professional development course for educators, volunteers, and program staff preparing to teach, mentor, or provide services inside a jail or prison — anywhere in the country.
The gap this course closes
"I've watched too many talented, well-meaning professionals walk into a facility completely unprepared — not because they weren't good educators, but because nobody taught them how correctional culture actually works."
Diane Howard, on 25+ years teaching inside county jails and state correctional facilities
Founder & Executive Director
About your instructor
Diane has spent more than 25 years advancing correctional education, workforce development, and second-chance opportunities. She has taught correctional education through Houston City College, Lee College, and Alvin Community College, inside both county jail and Texas Department of Criminal Justice settings, and serves as a national correctional education program auditor.
She is also the founder and executive director of the EntrepreneuHER Reentry Program, a nonprofit that helps justice-impacted women build new futures through entrepreneurship and workforce development.
Diane built the Correctional Education Academy to give every new educator, volunteer, and program professional the preparation she wishes she'd had on her own first day.
Who it's for
Paid staff or unpaid volunteer — if you're walking through security to teach, mentor, or support a program, this course was built with you in mind.
Course manifest
From getting cleared to work through graduation — practical, scenario-based training, not theory.
Why this course exists, who it's for, and how it complements — not replaces — your facility's own orientation.
Background checks, PREA, mandatory reporting, and the national standards that shape this field.
Jails, state prisons, federal prisons, and community corrections — and how facility type shapes programming.
What to wear, what to bring, what to leave behind, and how to walk in mentally prepared.
Verbal and non-verbal communication, tone, and building credibility with students and staff.
Situational awareness, shared responsibility for safety, and knowing your limitations.
Classroom climate, trust through professionalism, and consistency that drives engagement.
Adult learning principles, life experience as an asset, and removing barriers to learning.
Recognizing early signs, staying focused on learning, and responding professionally under pressure.
Objective documentation, professional language, and accountability that holds up under review.
Workplace stress, early warning signs, and healthy coping strategies for the long term.
First impressions, rapport, and setting classroom expectations — applied to real situations.
Bringing the Academy's lessons together and preparing for professional practice.
Founding cohort now open
Modules 1 and 2 are ready now. The rest release on a rolling basis over the following weeks — you get full access to each one at no extra cost, as it launches.
Frequently asked
Yes. Founding cohort members receive every module as it's released, at no additional charge, until the full course is complete.
That's exactly who this course is for. It's designed to prepare you before your first day, whether you're already scheduled to start or still exploring the field.
No. This course complements — it does not replace — your organization's orientation, institutional policies, or facility-specific training. It gives you the professional foundation to make that training easier to absorb.
Yes — a certificate of completion is issued once you've finished all 13 modules.
Group and organizational pricing is available. Contact us to discuss training for your facility, college, or nonprofit.
Ready when you are
Education creates opportunity. Opportunity creates hope. And hope changes lives — starting with the people who show up prepared to teach.