CRIMINAL JUSTICE ACADEMY

Sheriff Jim Cummings welcomes students to the opening session of the new Criminal Justice Academy.

In the Spring of 2006, the Barnstable County Sheriff’s Office initiated a Criminal Justice Academy for High School students. The goal of this experience is to educate students, who are interested in criminal justice or law enforcement as a career, about the role of the BCSO and how it works with other public safety agencies across Cape Cod. Because the Sheriff’s Office is not just corrections, this academy gives students a broad perspective of all our departments and many of the other agencies we work with. Presentations include K-9, Bureau of Criminal Investigation (BCI), Court procedures, Special Response Teams, Community Corrections, a tour of the BCCF and much more. 

ACADEMY APPLICATION:

If you are interested in applying for the Criminal Justice Academy, download and complete the Academy Application Form and the Liability Release Form. Then mail to address on the bottom of application.

Criminal Justice Academy Application Form
Youth Program Liability Release Form

Or call 508-375-6121 for an application.

Youth Academy
The Barnstable County Sheriff’s Youth Academy is a collaborative effort bringing together specially trained staff from correctional, educational, police and treatment facilities to provide a supportive environment in which Barnstable County youth between the ages of 12 and 16 can develop pro-social skills and increased resiliency.

Specifically, the Youth Academy is committed to helping youth achieve important physical, emotional and intellectual developmental goals. The focus is on self-control, respect, teamwork, integrity, communication, and decision-making skills.

The Youth Academy operates during the summer. It runs four (4) consecutive weeks. The hours of operation are 8:30am to 1:00pm.

A typical day at the Youth Academy consists of physical fitness training, “march and drill” exercises, classroom activities, and other personal development learning experiences. Guest speakers include: U.S. Marine Corps, U.S. Army, F.B.I., Barnstable County Fire Training Division, Barnstable Police Department, and Barnstable County Sheriff’s Office staff.

Download Youth Academy Application

• Youth Academy Application

B.A.R.S. Program (Bring Awareness & Reality to Students)

The purpose of the B.A.R.S program is to expose youth to the consequences of crime and the harsh realities of prison life. Students are brought into the Barnstable County Correctional Facility for a tour of the facility. A uniformed officer explains the day-to-day living conditions and operation of the facility. The tour ends in the Shock Unit, a military style substance abuse treatment program, and students have the opportunity to direct questions to Shock Unit “community members”. The program is designed to eliminate the false impressions of jail life being “macho” or “cool” in any way. Listening to inmates speak about their life choices helps students consider the choices they must make on a daily basis.
The B.A.R.S. "extended" program brings a corrections officer and inmates directly into the schools to discuss alcohol and other drugs, violence, and crime. The importance of education and positive influences are emphasized as major factors in enabling young people to make responsible, healthy choices. Students are invited to ask questions to staff and inmates.

Drug Education for Schools and Communities

Drug use and abuse among teens across the nation is always changing. Teenagers are using a variety of legal and illegal substances in order to get high. However, they pose serious side effects and potential life threatening consequences. The presentations include specific information about OTC (over the counter) medications, prescription drugs, MDMA (Ecstacy), Inhalants, Marijuana, GHB, and several other drugs of choice.

These programs are available upon request to all schools (staff training, parent groups, and students in grades 7-12), and other agencies across Barnstable County.

To request a Drug Education presentation contact:

Shaun Cahill
508-375-6121
scahill@bsheriff.net

NOTE: We do not accept any emails from webmail services such as yahoo, gmail, or hotmail.  If you need to send a message to a member of the department your email address must be cleared first. Call the IT helpdesk at 508-563-4352 to have it cleared. We apologize for any inconvenience.

Peer Mediation
Peer Mediation is an important part of any school’s overall safety plan. The program recognizes the importance of peer influence and equips student leaders as resource providers in reducing and resolving conflict among peers. Schools select student leaders from a cross section of students from faculty, peer, and self referrals. The Sheriff’s Office provides a base of 6-8 hours of training to help students develop their skills in empathy, communication, active listening, problem solving, and developing written agreements. To be successful, students must take ownership of the overall program, with strong administrative support from the Assistant Principal and advisors. We provide on-going support and training
Peer Mediation is one example of our outreach efforts, helping local communities develop a “radar screen” and “safety net”, promoting youth leadership, experiential learning, and strong collaboration among communities, police and schools.

The "Wise Parent" Program
The "Wise Parent" Program is an interactive computer-based video program. Here's how it works:

1. Watch a brief scene of a common parenting problem.

2. Choose a solution that most closely matches what you would do in that situation.

3. See how effective your solution was and view other alternatives.

The "Wise Parent" Program teaches you how to help your children understand what you expect from them. This program covers the following topics:

• Communications skills
• Problem solving skills
• Monitoring and supervision
• Speaking respectfully
• Assertive discipline
• Chore and homework compliance
• Step family problems
• Single parent issues
• Physical aggression

The "Wise Parent" Program can be done in our office or in the privacy of your own home.

"Wise Parent" samples can be seen online at the Family Works, Inc. website. (click icon below)

For more information on the youth programs available through the Barnstable County Sheriff’s Office, contact any of the youth program staff at the:

Sheriff’s Youth Ranch
1445 Osterville-West Barnstable Road
West Barnstable, MA 02668
508-375-6128
youth@bsheriff.net

NOTE: We do not accept any emails from webmail services such as yahoo, gmail, or hotmail.  If you need to send a message to a member of the department your email address must be cleared first. Call the IT helpdesk at 508-563-4352 to have it cleared. We apologize for any inconvenience.

A message from Sheriff Cummings …

“We recognize that no single program or agency has the ability to change the course of a child’s life. That’s why we are partnering with community organizations, families, and local agencies. Through the Sheriff’s Youth Academy, we are providing Cape Cod with a positive atmosphere designed to promote responsibility, instill life skills, and build character. We need your support and assistance in this endeavor. Together we can all make a difference in the lives of our youth.”
Sheriff James M. Cummings