Applications now being accepted – Six weekly evening sessions in New Castle County start Tuesday, April 14
Wilmington, DE – The Delaware Department of Correction (DOC) invites Delaware residents to participate in its Spring 2026 Citizens Academy program, which begins on April 14 in New Castle County. The DOC Citizens Academy is a six-week program that gives community members first-hand insight into how the DOC works, including how therapeutic treatment, education, and training programs meet the needs of justice-involved individuals and meet the DOC’s dual mission of public safety and rehabilitation. Weekly Citizens Academy sessions include informational presentations, interactive facility tours, discussions with Department leaders and treatment and program providers, and the opportunity to engage with incarcerated individuals and reentrants.
The Spring 2026 DOC Citizens Academy will be based in the Wilmington area and will take place over six consecutive Tuesday evenings from 6:00 – 8:30 p.m. from April 14 to May 19. Informational “classroom” sessions will be held at a regional Probation and Parole offices, and facility tours will take place at the Community Corrections Treatment Center, Howard R. Young Correctional Institution, and Baylor Women’s Correctional Institution.
“The DOC Citizens Academy gives local residents the unique opportunity to see how our prisons, community corrections facilities, and probation system operate and learn more about the Department of Correction’s role in reentry, rehabilitation, and public safety,” Commissioner Terra Taylor said. “Apply today to join us starting this April in New Castle County and be part of the collaboration between the DOC and the communities we serve.”
The DOC is seeking applications from individuals 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.
Interested participants must complete a short online application that is posted online HERE or can complete and submit the attached PDF application. Applications should be submitted to Jason.Miller@Delaware.gov by Friday, March 20. Applications will be reviewed as received on a rolling basis until the Citizens Academy class is filled. Class size is limited.
The DOC Citizens Academy seeks to support public engagement with the DOC through informationsharing and dialogue and to build partnerships with local residents and community-serving organizations. Academy sessions focus on a wide variety of topics, including officer and staff training, facility operations, community supervision methods, healthcare and substance abuse treatment, 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 – individuals’ needs and risks 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 courtordered pretrial supervision. Previous DOC Citizens Academy programs have taken place in New Castle, Sussex, and Kent Counties. For more information please contact Jason Miller, Chief of Communications and Community Relations, at Jason.Miller@Delaware.gov or call 302-379-4048.
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