The Utah Department of Corrections Training Division works with the POST (Peace Officer Standards and Training council) to provide pre-service training for cadets and in-service training for certified officers. The Training Division also provides classes in leadership and motivational interviewing techniques for officers.
Employment
The Utah Department of Corrections, through its pre-service Training Academy, prepares new Correctional Officers and certified staff to work at the prison, related facilities and county jails.
Please see governmentjobs.com/careers/utah for information about current openings.
Professionalism
It is the mission of the Department’s Training Academy to establish and maintain a foundation of professionalism and education for correctional staff throughout the State of Utah.
Our commitment to the Department’s mission and staff success is the driving force by which we develop and deliver our in-service training. We act as mentors and guide Corrections staff in their training endeavors. We encourage staff to serve as examples to the public and to their peers. Staff are taught to carry out the duties assigned to them in a manner that will limit liability and ensure staff safety, while also keeping in mind our commitment to the public and the offenders placed in our custody.
Contact
Utah Department of Corrections Training Division
Larry H. Miller Campus
Salt Lake Community College
410 W. 9800 South, Sandy, UT 84070
Telephone: 801-256-2450
Fred House Training Academy
14727 S. Minuteman Dr.
Draper, UT 84020
Training Academy Director
Nate Thomas
Nate Thomas was named the Director of the Training Division at the Utah Department of Corrections in November 2023.
He brings 17 years of experience to the role. He began as a Correctional Officer at the Central Utah Correctional Facility, progressing to Case Manager before serving as an Adult Probation & Parole Agent in Region 4 and the Re-entry team.
Thomas’ leadership efforts continued as a Supervisor for Region 3, overseeing the Treatment Resource Center.
He moved to the Division of Prison Operations as a Deputy Warden with the Inmate Placement Program before becoming a Deputy Warden at the Utah State Correctional Facility, where he oversaw housing units with a focus on structured housing, the intake process, mental health treatment, and the infirmary.
In April 2023, he was named Chief of Region IV for AP&P before taking over the Training Division.
Thomas has a Bachelor’s degree in Linguistics and proficiency in Persian-Farsi and Afghan-Dari. He served four years as a Persian-Farsi Cryptological Linguist in the Utah Air National Guard.