Recently, Chester County Prison began participating in the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) Law Enforcement Executive Development Association (LEEDA) Trilogy Leadership training program. According to FBI-LEEDA, the program includes three courses that focus on leadership at different levels: the Supervisor Leadership Institute, the Command Leadership Institute and the Executive Leadership Institute.
George Roberts, deputy warden of treatment services at Chester County Prison, has completed all three parts of the training. He said that only a select group of staff members, including the prison’s warden and acting warden, initially received the training before the prison decided to expand it to all supervisors.
“The warden and acting warden have police backgrounds, which was FBI-LEEDA’s initial target audience,” Roberts said. “They believed in what FBI-LEEDA offered to develop leaders and that it can be applied across all law enforcement agencies.”
The training now covers the prison’s entire command staff that oversees daily operations, including captains, corporals and other officials. According to Roberts, each part of the program focuses on teaching a set of skills to help law enforcement and correctional leaders strengthen professionalism, improve organizational management and better respond to challenges in a correctional environment.
“One of the main skills taught in the program is emotional intelligence. It stresses self-awareness, emotional control and understanding others’ behavior,” Roberts explained. “This helps us avoid unnecessary escalation and respond appropriately during tense situations.”
Christopher Przemieniecki, a criminal justice professor and practicum coordinator at West Chester University, helps coordinate his students’ hands-on training experiences and internship placements. He has worked closely with FBI-LEEDA over the years and has had many students complete internships with the organization.
“They (FBI-LEEDA) have a whole team of experts that work for them that teach various topics, whether it’s law enforcement, corrections, police administration or more specific topics within law enforcement,” Przemieniecki said. “They would provide educational opportunities and resources for leadership classes on how to do a better job in administrating a prison.”
Przemieniecki feels that leadership is crucial in corrections work as it benefits both staff and inmates. According to Przemieniecki, stronger leadership can help correctional officers feel more supported while also improving opportunities for growth and rehabilitation for incarcerated individuals.
“Everyone either wants to be a cop or wants to be a lawyer. No one ever aspires to work in prison,” Przemieniecki said. “But (those who do) get there and actually love it. They love it because there’s great leadership supporting them, and that’s what’s important. When you have great leadership, the inmates, those incarcerated, also feel that positive sort of vibe within the administration. They’re going to benefit from having better programs and just a better lifestyle.”
Roberts explains that FBI-LEEDA is developing a corrections-specific training program, which will likely become part of Chester County Prison’s broader effort to strengthen leadership development and improve management. The prison also plans to have more than 25 additional supervisors complete the program by the end of 2026.
“The goal is to have all supervisors — corporals, sergeants and lieutenants — complete the program,” Roberts said. “All command staff, including captains, manager, director, major, deputy wardens and the warden, have already completed this program.”
Emily S. Wang can be reached at [email protected].
