The Department of Public Safety welcomed a new class of adult correctional officers at a graduation ceremony Friday at the department’s Training and Staff Development building in Honolulu.
The Department of Public Safety welcomed a new class of adult correctional officers at a graduation ceremony Friday at the department’s Training and Staff Development building in Honolulu.
Twelve recruits graduated from Basic Corrections Training and will begin their careers as correctional officers in facilities across the state.
Six of the officers are assigned to Hawaii Community Correctional Center; two will serve at Kulani Correctional Facility; and four are assigned to Oahu Community Correctional Center.
The names of the recruits are not released for security reasons, the department said.
BCT is a nine-week program that includes 360 hours of classroom time and physical training.
Recruits learn standard of conduct, professionalism and ethics, report writing, interpersonal communications, maintaining security, crisis intervention, security threat groups, firearms, self-defense tactics and physical exercise.
“Managing a large prisoner population while providing a safe and secure environment in a prison or jail is a serious job,” said Sgt. Puanani Cummings, BCT sergeant in charge.
“These new corrections officers spent many hours in the classroom and in field training. I know they have the ability and the knowledge it takes to be successful in a challenging environment,” Cummings added.
All incoming classes receive Recruit Field Training along with Basic Corrections Training. That means, during the final weeks of training, they go into the facility and begin their job with the guidance of their training sergeants.