MDOC Celebrates Graduation of Lower Peninsula Spring Academy Class Officer Recruits

LANSING, Mich - The Michigan Department of Corrections Lower Peninsula Officer Recruit Training Academy held their graduation ceremony today, where they welcomed 174 new officers to the department.

The Lower Peninsula Recruit Academy Class graduation was held in Lansing on June 16 at the Lansing Convention Center. Officers took their oath of office in front of family, friends, and new colleagues. The class joins their 18 Upper Peninsula counterparts who graduated on June 3 in Sault Ste. Marie, MI, to become the newest officers to enter into their public service with MDOC. Combined, the class welcomed 192 new officers.

"Our new officers graduating in this class are choosing a path where every day brings a chance to protect, to lead, and to uplift the communities we serve," said MDOC Director Heidi E. Washington. "They also have a unique opportunity to make a lasting impact on those they supervise by leading by example, with empathy, and consistency. I am proud of each of them for choosing a career with corrections and I look forward to the positive impact they will make to all those around them."

Michigan's corrections officer recruit training is considered some of the most comprehensive in the nation consisting of the 8-week academy, followed by two months of on-the-job training. During the academy, recruits learn the fundamentals of working as a corrections officer such as safety procedures, effective communication strategies, de-escalation techniques, department procedures, legal compliance, and more.

The department is currently recruiting for the next Officer Recruit Training Academies which will begin on July 20. Participants in the academies will be eligible to make $73,000 per year, before overtime, in as little as three and a half years and start earning $23.45 per hour the first day of the academy. In addition, a new starting pay rate for hard-to-recruit facilities in the Upper Peninsula will go into effect at the start of the next academy. New recruits hired to work at Marquette Branch Prison, Baraga Correctional Facility, Alger Correctional Facility, Kinross Correctional Facility, and Chippewa Correctional Facility will start at $28.24.

Residents who are interested in a career in corrections are encouraged to attend a recruitment event. Upcoming events, as well as information on minimum eligibility requirements, salary, and benefits, can be found at https://www.michigan.gov/mdocjobs.

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