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December 22, 2006

New class of correctional officers ready to roll / Photo

Journal photo / Andrew Dickerman
Christina Carr, of Cranston, stands at attention as Joseph Charette, of Woonsocket, adjusts her tie and collar before their graduation ceremonies today.

PROVIDENCE -- A new group of correctional officers will be spending the holidays behind bars.

Graduation ceremonies were held today for 69 men and women who completed nine weeks of rigorous training for the state Department of Corrections Correctional Officer Training Class.

The 75th graduating class includes 17 women, the most to ever graduate at one time. All were feted in a somber ceremony in the auditorium at Rhode Island College’s Sapinsley Hall.

Ashbel T. Wall, the director of the Adult Correctional Institutions, told the audience of corrections officers and their family and friends that this class was selected from 2,000 applicants last spring. "This is truly a group of the elite,’’ Wall said. "They had what we were looking for.’’

Emmanuel Correia was recognized as the class valedictorian.

Training included CPR and weapons certification, as well as classroom topics such as law and communication skills. They also were required to take weekly exams.

The new graduates will work their first shifts on Sunday, Christmas Eve, and will be teamed up with senior officers for two weeks. After that, they will be working on their own.

Prison officials have been anxiously awaiting the arrival of the new graduates. Last month, the ACI announced that its population has averaged more than 3,700 over the previous four months, the highest in the history of the prison complex in Cranston. The new officers will bolster the existing staff of 850 officers.

-- Journal staff writer W. Zachary Malinowski

Posted by Jack Perry  at 5:24 PM | Permalink

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