Okeechobee - Thursday September 22, 2022: Nine men and three women graduated in September from the Florida Department of Law Enforcement’s (FDLE) Corrections Basic Recruit Training Academy—the first time the program has been offered at the Indian River State College (IRSC) Dixon Hendry Campus in Okeechobee.
All 12 have already been hired by sheriff’s offices on the Treasure Coast.
The Academy is offered as a partnership between the IRSC Criminal Justice Institute and the Okeechobee County Sheriff’s Office (OCSO). Eight of the participants were recruited through OSCO’s Law Enforcement Apprentice Program (LEAP), which gathers interested high school seniors and sponsors them for training at the Academy immediately after they graduate from high school.
Eight of the Academy graduates had already been hired by the Okeechobee Sheriff’s Office, one was hired by the Martin County Sheriff’s Office, and the other three have been hired by the St. Lucie County Sheriff’s Office.
“Offering this program here in Okeechobee has allowed us to enhance our partnership with the Okeechobee County Sheriff and his team,” said Russ Brown, Campus President of the IRSC Dixon Hendry Campus. “We know this program provides a great start to career opportunities in corrections and law enforcement. I am very proud of these students who have worked hard, stayed committed, and displayed mental toughness and good character as they achieved this goal.”
The Corrections Basic Recruit Training Academy is offered through the Florida Department of Law Enforcement and consists of 420 hours of intensive training. IRSC’s Criminal Justice Institute provides 24 additional hours of review for the State Officer Certification Exam (SOCE), for a total of 444 hours. The recruit then must pass the FDLE SOCE to become eligible for hire by an agency as a Certified Corrections Officer.