Ashland County Sheriff’s Office Hosts Two-Week Milo Training for Corrections Officers
ASHLAND – The Ashland County Sheriff’s Office is in the middle of a two-week training program designed to prepare corrections officers for the difficult, split-second decisions they face inside the jail.
The training is being led by Ryan Kidwell of Corrections Consultants of Ohio, a subcontractor for CORSA – the County Risk Sharing Authority, which provides liability and risk management coverage for 73 Ohio counties, including Ashland.
According to Kidwell, the sessions use Milo Response Training, a simulation-based program designed to test officers’ responses to real-life scenarios.
“It’s training for response, use of force, and reasonable response to use,” Kidwell explained. “Milo allows us to put officers into realistic situations they might face on any given day, and then we can see how they choose to respond.”
Simulated Scenarios Inside the Jail
The simulations cover a range of common and high-risk situations corrections officers regularly encounter.
Suicide Prevention: Officers are confronted with inmates showing signs of suicidal behavior. Their responses are evaluated for both safety and sensitivity to mental health concerns.
Lock-Down Refusals: During end-of-day counts, officers must de-escalate situations when inmates refuse to return to cells. The system can escalate the inmate’s behavior, forcing officers to decide whether to rely on verbal commands, physical restraint, or non-lethal tools such as OC spray or a Taser.
Mental Health and Misconduct: Some scenarios involve inmates classified with mental health concerns, such as one where an inmate spits at an officer. Trainers observe how officers balance the criminal nature of the act with the need for compassion in mental-health-related cases.
Kidwell noted that while Milo does not include full simulations of disorders such as schizophrenia or bipolar episodes, it introduces situations tied to depression, suicidal ideation, and other challenges that overlap with mental health. For broader mental-health training, many officers also participate in Crisis Intervention Team (CIT) programs.
Balancing Force and Liability
The focus, Kidwell stressed, is always on reasonable use of force and reducing risk.
“Use of force has been at the forefront the last five to ten years,” Kidwell said. “Milo allows us to slow things down and talk through decisions. If we see an officer escalating too quickly, we can step in and work through the thought process with them.”
By engaging in these realistic scenarios, the Sheriff’s Office hopes to reduce liability while improving safety for both officers and inmates.
Sheriff Kurt J. Schneider has emphasized the importance of continuous training to protect both deputies and the community. This two-week program is another investment in making sure Ashland County corrections officers are prepared for the unpredictable challenges they face behind the jail walls.
