First Of Its Kind Memory Disorder Prison Unit
Federal Inmates Certified As Certified Nursing Assistants, Federal Correctional Staff Certified With Specialized Certification
The National Council of Certified Dementia Practitioners (NCCDP) credential enables inmate staff with the knowledge and tools necessary to respond to cognitively impaired inmates
SPARTA, New Jersey, Dec. 2, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- The National Council of Certified Dementia Practitioners (NCCDP) credential enables Correctional Facility staff with the knowledge and tools necessary to respond to cognitively impaired inmates. The prison system has been historically ill-equipped to handle the aging inmate population, particularly those suffering with dementia, and in July 2019, under the direction of Rear Admiral Stephen Spaulding, Warden, the first of its kind Memory Disorder Unit (MDU) opened at FMC Devens in Massachusetts. The unit is staffed by inmates who are Certified Nursing Assistants and have completed the Massachusetts state required nursing assistant course and meet Massachusetts requirements for certification. The staff nurse educators were certified as Certified Correctional Personnel Dementia Trainers (CCPDT) and the correctional guards were certified as Certified Dementia Trained Correctional Personnel (CDTCP), after completion of the ADDC Alzheimer's Disease and Dementia Care curriculum developed specifically for correctional facilities and presented by National Council of Certified Dementia Practitioners.
Why is awareness of dementia in prison so important?
The inmate population in the United States is aging. This reality is further compounded by
the fact that individuals who are incarcerated are generally at an increased risk of developing dementia due to several risk factors associated with their lifestyle. The prison system has
historically been ill-equipped to manage this type of inmate because there is currently little to no staff training on how to effectively manage inmates suffering from cognitive impairment
disorders. Consequently, these inmates are often held to the same standard as inmates in the general population, facing unproductive disciplinary action in response to the negative behaviors
resulting from impulsivity, disinhibition, and impaired judgment. This leads to safety concerns for both staff and inmates.