Applications now being accepted – Six weekly evening sessions in New Castle County start September 22.

Wilmington, DE – The Delaware Department of Correction (DOC) invites Delaware residents to participate in its Fall 2025 Citizens Academy program which begins September 22 in New Castle County.  The DOC Citizens Academy is a free six-week program designed to give community members a look inside Delaware’s largest law enforcement agency and see corrections operations first-hand, while learning how the DOC employs therapeutic treatment, education, and training programs and leverages partnerships with local and state partners to achieve its dual mission of public safety and rehabilitation.  Weekly sessions feature a mix of informational presentations, interactive facility tours, discussion and dialogue with Department of Correction leaders and treatment and program providers, and the opportunity to engage with individuals under DOC supervision.

The Fall 2025 DOC Citizens Academy will be based in the Wilmington area and will take place over six consecutive Monday evenings from 6:00 – 8:30 p.m. starting September 22.  Sessions and tours will take place at the Plummer Community Corrections Center, Howard R. Young Correctional Institution, a Regional Probation and Parole Office, and Baylor Women’s Correctional Institution.

“The DOC Citizens Academy gives you the opportunity to see for yourself how our prisons, community corrections facilities, and probation system operate, explore the Department of Correction’s role in reentry and public safety, and get involved in building a strong relationship between the DOC and our local communities.”  Commissioner Terra Taylor said.  “Apply today and join us this September in New Castle County.”

The DOC is seeking applications from community participants age 18 and over.  No corrections or law enforcement experience is necessary.  Previous Citizens Academy participants have included small business owners, representatives from non-profit organizations, college students, medical professionals, teachers, retirees, and more.  Class size is limited and interested participants must complete a short application and pass a simple background check.  The DOC Citizens Academy application form is posted online HERE.  Please note: participants can complete and securely submit an online application directly through the DOC website or can complete the PDF application and return it to Jason.Miller@Delaware.gov.  Applications should be submitted by August 25, 2025 and will be reviewed as received on a rolling basis until the Citizens Academy class is filled.

The DOC Citizens Academy seeks to strengthen public engagement with the DOC through access, information-sharing, and dialogue and to build partnerships with local residents.  Sessions focus on a wide variety of topics, including officer and staff training, prison operations, probation supervision methods, medical care, substance abuse treatment, behavioral healthcare, vocational training and education, and the DOC’s central role in Delaware’s comprehensive reentry system.  Participants gain a deeper understanding of how the DOC identifies – and addresses – needs and risks while individuals are under DOC supervision in order to support their reentry success and reduce Delaware’s recidivism rate.

Members of the media are encouraged to attend and participate in Citizens Academy sessions.

Statewide, more than 4,000 individuals are currently incarcerated in Department of Correction facilities and approximately 10,000 individuals are currently being supervised by the DOC on probation or court-ordered pretrial supervision.  Previous DOC Citizens Academy programs have taken place in New Castle, Sussex, and Kent Counties.

For more information and to submit an application please contact Jason Miller, Chief of Communications and Community Relations at Jason.Miller@Delaware.gov or call 302-379-4048.

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