9 new adult corrections officers set to join ranks at Big Island facilities following graduation

Hawaiʻi Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation welcomed a new class of nine new adult corrections officers during a graduation ceremony Oct. 17 at University of Hawaiʻi at Hilo Performing Arts Center.

The graduates from Basic Corrections Recruit Class 25-04B successfully completed training and will begin their careers at facilities on the Big Island.

The facilities of assignment and numbers of graduates posted at each are:

• Hawaiʻi Community Correctional Center: 5.
• Kulani Correctional Facility: 4.

Friday’s class is the seventh class to graduate from recruit training this year.

“We are proud of every graduate in this class who worked extremely hard to successfully complete the rigorous training course,” said Hawaiʻi Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation Director Tommy Johnson in a department release honoring the graduates. “They represent a new generation of dedicated corrections officers who will one day become leaders in the corrections field.”

Recruit training comprises of more than 300 hours of classroom instruction and physical training.

A variety of subjects are covered, including:

• 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.
• Self-defense tactics.

All incoming classes also receive field training. Recruits during the final weeks of training go into the facilities where they will begin their jobs and receive guidance from their training sergeants.

Since January 2024 when the Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation was redesignated from the state Department of Public Safety, the department compressed its recruit training course to 8 weeks from 11 weeks, while still covering critical training to ensure new adult corrections officers are well-prepared for their jobs.

The department last year also doubled its recruit classes to six from three to address a staffing shortage at corrections facilities in Hawai‘i.

There are an estimated 420 vacant adult corrections officer positions throughout the state, with about 1,100 filled positions.

Department leadership aims to have eight recruit classes by the end of this year.