Gary Jones

After 5 ½ years as a Police Officer (Trenton, MO) and 13 ½ years as a State Trooper (Wyoming), Gary Jones began his career in Corrections in 1997 as a Corrections Investigator at Crossroads Correctional Center, a maximum security institution in Cameron, MO.

In 1999, Gary became the Institutional Training Officer at the Western Region Diagnostic Correctional Center in Saint Joseph, MO.  He provided a one-week orientation program for all new staff regarding what they could expect while interacting with convicted felons. He also provided annual in-service training for all staff in order for them to maintain their professional standards.  He became certified as a Verbal Judo Instructor in 2000 and has been providing Verbal Judo classes on a regular basis since then.

In 2003, Gary transferred to the Western Region Training Center (WRTC) where his Basic Training courses include Overview of Corrections, Verbal Judo, Professions of Corrections, Stress Management, Constitutional Law, Pepper Spray, Use of Force, Anatomy of a Set-up (games offenders use to take advantage of staff), Staff-Offender Relations, Transportation of Offenders, Restraints, and Staff Safety and Survival.  He was part of a design team who re-wrote the 2-day Verbal Judo course presented to students during basic training.

Gary instructs in-service courses, not only at WRTC, but also at six different institutions and numerous Probation and Parole offices within the Western Region.