Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation graduates second recruit class

The Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation (DCR) welcomed a new class of adult corrections officers (ACO) at a graduation ceremony at the Mission Memorial Auditorium on May 10, 2024. Its 13 graduates from Basic Corrections Recruit Class (BCRC) 24-02 completed training and will begin their careers as corrections officers in facilities across the state.

This is the second class of corrections officers that graduated since the department was redesignated as the DCR from the Department of Public Safety (PSD) effective Jan. 1, 2024. Since its redesignation, the DCR has compressed the recruit training course from 11 weeks to 8 weeks while still covering critical training to ensure ACOs are well-prepared for their jobs. The department also doubled the number of graduating classes, from two to three classes a year to six, to address the staff shortage at facilities in Hawai‘i.

“Increasing the number of BCRC classes coupled with the department’s multipronged approach to recruitment is designed to assist the department in filling our many vacancies across all classes of work,” said DCR Director Tommy Johnson. “This graduating class continues to represent the next generation of correctional officers who are proud to serve and sacrifice for the continued protection of the public we all willingly serve.”

The BCRC training course includes more than 300 hours of classroom instruction and physical training. Recruits learn a variety of subjects that include standards of conduct, ethics and professionalism, report writing, interpersonal communications, maintaining security, crisis intervention, security threat groups (gangs), mental health, first aid, use of firearms, and self-defense tactics.

“We welcome this graduating class with open arms and look forward to the members’ continued learning as they embark upon their career in corrections,” said Pamela Sturz, director of DCR Correctional Institutes Division. “It takes an all-team approach to managing our jails and prisons and we are excited to add these staff to our team and encourage others to consider a career both in uniformed and uniformed positions.”

The department’s mission is to provide a secure correctional environment for comprehensive rehabilitative, holistic, wraparound re-entry services including culturally based approaches, to persons sentenced to our custody and care. Our goal is to reduce recidivism and generational incarceration and enhance the safety and security of our communities.

All incoming classes receive Recruit Field Training along with Basic Corrections Training. During the final weeks of training, they go into the facility and begin their job with guidance from their training sergeants.

The 13 graduates have been assigned to the following jail and prison facilities:

• Hālawa Correctional Facility – 1
• Kūlani Correctional Facility – 1
• Women’s Community Correctional Center – 2
• Hawaiʻi Community Correctional Center – 5
• Maui Community Correctional Center – 1
• Oʻahu Community Correctional Center – 3