May 9—DECATUR — The Georgia Department of Juvenile Justice held a graduation ceremony for 32 newly-trained Juvenile Correctional Officer cadets recently at the Georgia Public Safety Training Center in Forsyth. The cadets have now joined the ranks of other JCOs at state-run secure facilities across the state.

"Juvenile Correctional Officers help provide a safe environment to transform and rehabilitate the young lives in our care," DJJ Commissioner Shawanda Reynolds-Cobb said. "I am so proud of the hard work and dedication of these new officers. I welcome them to our team of juvenile justice professionals."

Basic Juvenile Correctional Officer Training is a 240-hour comprehensive program that provides basic skills training in security practices and procedures. To complete the program, a cadet must meet established standards on written examinations that evaluate cognitive knowledge and performance-oriented studies.

The Highest Academic Achievement Award for BJCOT Class No. 259 was presented to Johnekia Grier from the DeKalb RYDC. Grier also received the Reinhardt Scholarship Award for her academic achievement. In addition, DJJ has partnered with Reinhardt University to offer employees scholarships and educational opportunities in several programs, including the Executive Command and Leadership program.

The graduates have been assigned to 13 secure facilities in Baldwin, Bibb, Chatham, Cobb, DeKalb, Floyd, Laurens, Muscogee, Richmond, Rockdale, Terrell, Ware and Wilkes counties.

Southwest Georgia graduates included:

Frances Cole (Adel, Georgia)

Tommie Veazey (Broxton, Georgia)

Dayshawn Barnes (Dawson, Georgia)

To learn more about career opportunities with the Georgia Department of Juvenile Justice, contact the Office of Human Resources at 404-294-3431 or email careers@djjcareers.org.