As part of the FBI Basic Crisis Negotiation Training held at Allegheny Police Academy on Jan. 7-11, Sergeant Cliff Standard, who serves as the Hostage Negotiation Team (HNT) assistant team leader at SCI Greene, assisted with scenarios and discussed trainings and challenges of the hostage negotiation team within a prison environment.
This opportunity was made possible when FBI officials asked previous class participants to volunteer in role playing during their training.
Standard stepped up and gave a presentation called "The Challenges of Negotiating in a Prison Environment."
A majority of training attendees are from the FBI, police and sheriff's departments. Officials believe that adding a corrections perspective to the training has provided a wealth of information to attendees.
"Most of the time, in the community, these individuals are dealing with active shooter, hostage and suicidal-type situations. So, when it comes to hostage/crisis situations and negotiations, adding corrections HNT staff to the training was a good enhancement to the course," Standard said.
Greene's HNT is the most-called upon team to use their skills for a variety of prison-related reasons. HNT members never want to be called out due to anybody being held hostage, but if they are called for that, they are prepared.
Standard began his DOC career at SCI Greensburg in 2007 and transferred to SCI Greene after the closing of Greensburg in 2013. He learned about the HNT during his DOC basic training and knew it was something he wanted to do and thought that it would be similar to work he did in the military.
After serving his country and prior to working at the DOC, Standard was a law enforcement instructor with Penn State and assisted in instructing police that respond to schools with active shooter trainings and the constable training program. When that opportunity ended, he says he "went from Penn State to the state pen."
Standard's work in this training area outside of the DOC began in March 2014, when he and several of Greene's HNT team members gave a presentation for Waynesburg University's Mock crime scene workshop.
"I am very proud of Sgt. Standard and the entire SCI Greene HNT – and all of our employees and teams for that matter. Our employees' ability to share their knowledge, skills and expertise with other law enforcement entities is yet another way to give back to our local communities and keep them safe. I couldn't be prouder of the SCI 'Greene Team'."