They are trained to stitch cuts, fill cavities and treat depression. Now the Department of Corrections also wants the doctors, dentists and psychologists at the Utah State Prison to know how to defend themselves.
For the first time in more than a decade, Corrections officials are requiring all members of the clinical staff to go through Peace Officers Standards and Training, the same training course men and women trying to become prison guards are put through.
"The staff is exposed to the same security issues and safety hazards as correctional officers and have not had the opportunity to receive the same type of training," said Dale Schipaanboord, the Division of Institutional Operations director. "It's about time this happens."
The clinical staff used to go through POST training about 15 years ago, Schipaanboord said, until the Department of Corrections determined it wasn't necessary.
The idea of getting back to that had been tossed around for awhile, said Dennis Hutchinson, director of POST training. But it wasn't until a nurse was attacked by an inmate about six months ago that the plan came to fruition. The nurse was punched in the face, said Hutchinson.
The first group of medical personnel trying to become POST-certified will graduate Sept. 7. Among that group is Dr. Harold Snow, 67, a dentist at the prison who has worked with maximum security prisoners in the past.
"I thought it was a great idea," Snow said when he first heard of the POST training.
Snow said while he is aware of incidents, he has never felt threatened himself. He believes the biggest benefit of the training is getting a better idea of what demands are put on guards.
The training, which involves both classroom instruction and intense physical fitness, has given the clinical staff a better idea of what is expected of corrections officers and what their duties are, Snow said.
"It helps us work better with officers and look at the bigger picture of the institution's goals," concurred Dr. Frank Rees, 44, supervising psychologist at the prison. "We're taught self-defense against physical attack. We're taught ways to keep ourselves safer."
Understanding security at the prison helps the clinical staff make better sense of the department, Rees said.
"I wanted this when I was hired on," said Ron Sanchez, 54, a psychologist supervisor who has been at the prison 11 years. "It just makes sense."
The training for medical staff is an 11-week course. POST training for a corrections officer is 13 weeks. The only difference is the clinical staff is not put through firearms training.
The reason for not giving doctors firearms training was partly financial and partly because it wasn't necessary. Hutchinson said guards are at the prison for safety and security while the clinical staff is there to help with rehabilitation. It would be counter to their specialized training, he said, to train them in firearms.
But many members of the clinical staff said they felt it would have been beneficial to go through that training.
Because the prison still needs a medical staff to work during the training, only a handful of doctors and nurses can go through the training at any one time. Currently, 18 members of the approximately 120 member clinical staff are in POST training.
One of the biggest concerns Corrections officials had about putting the doctors and nurses through POST training was the physical demands. But as it turned out, most of them were already in shape. All they needed was a little fine-tuning, Hutchinson said.
"Because they are doctors, they understand the need for a healthy lifestyle," he said.
In fact, Paul Rosser, a nurse practitioner, broke every existing POST record in the mile-and-a-half run.
"I'm definitely in better shape now than when I entered," Rees said.
"It's been a motivational thing to be in shape more," said Snow, who admits the physical training has been the most difficult part of the training.
Not all members of the clinical staff were excited about the training. One of the most common concerns was the feeling that their training to be a health professional would be in conflict with peace officer training.
Hutchinson said if a member of the clinical staff does not pass POST, that does not mean that person will lose his job. It simply means that person will have to have someone who is POST-certified with them whenever they have contact with inmates.
Sanchez said he doubts he'll ever be faced with situation where he'll have to put everything he's learned in training to use. But knowing all that's involved with POST training gives him a new appreciation of what Corrections officers do, he said.
E-MAIL: preavy@desnews.com