NJDA and the Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention developed this comprehensive, 40-hour basic training program for entry-level juvenile detention careworkers. NJDA used the American Correctional Association training standards to develop a survey to assess the areas in which detention administrators perceive the greatest training needs for new employees. It synthesized this and other information to develop the curriculum. The materials and issues are specific in content but general enough so as not to contradict proper policies and procedures of the individual facility. The program is designed to follow the pre-service orientation training and occur within the first 6 months of employment. The curriculum consists of 4 hours on behavior management, 3 hours on communication, 12 hours on crisis intervention, 5 hours on leadership management, 12 hours on safety and security, and 4 hours on technical competence. Although NJDA recommends more than 120 hours of training during the first year of employment, this curriculum represents a cost-effective method of addressing the most important topics on which new staff members need training. 19 references