12 recruits graduate from basic training, as the state looks to fill hundreds of adult corrections officer vacancies across the state

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, Friday. Twelve graduates from Basic Corrections Recruit Class completed training and will begin their careers as corrections officers in facilities across Hawaiʻi, including one graduate who has been assigned to the Maui Community Correctional Center in Wailuku.

This is the fifth class of corrections officers that graduated since the DCR was redesignated from the Department of Public Safety (PSD) effective Jan. 1, 2024. 

Currently, there are nearly 370 vacant ACO positions of the estimated 1,500 authorized ACO positions.  

DCR Director Tommy Johnson said, “This graduating class represents our efforts to fill as many Adult Corrections Officer vacancies. This graduating class (BCRC 24-03) will help fill those vacancies.” 

Since the redesignation, the DCR compressed the recruit training course to eight weeks from 11 weeks while still covering critical training. The department also doubled the number of graduating classes to six classes a year from two to three to address the staff shortage at facilities in Hawai‘i. 

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. 

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

• Hālawa Correctional Facility: 2 
• Women’s Community Correctional Center: 3  
• Kaua‘i Community Correctional Center: 2
• Maui Community Correctional Center: 1 
• Oʻahu Community Correctional Center: 4