NCJ Number
213880
Journal
Corrections Today Magazine Volume: 68 Issue: 2 Dated: April 2006 Pages: 16-18
Date Published
April 2006
Length
3 pages
Annotation
This article reports on what is involved in becoming certified in four correctional job types and provides data on the reliability of the certification exams.
Abstract
Almost every profession requires that a qualified candidate pass some type of examination in order to certify that specific job skills have been mastered. The exam-passing requirement is only one of the steps in certification by the American Correctional Association's Corrections Certification Program (CCP). The CCP is for four job types: executives, who work at the highest level in adult and juvenile corrections, overseeing the development and implementation of policies and procedures; managers, who manage major units or programs in a correctional setting; supervisors, who work with both staff and offenders as mid-level managers in a correctional setting; and officers, who work directly with offenders. Qualifying for certification in one of these categories involves having at least a high school diploma or GED, being currently employed full time in the corrections field, having a minimum on-the-job experience of 1 year in an occupational category, having a history of satisfactory or better performance evaluations, having a favorable recommendation from an immediate supervisor, and agreeing to uphold the American Correctional Association's Code of Ethics. Applicants who meet these qualifying requirements move from the applicant stage to candidate status. During the candidate stage of the certification process, the focus is on preparing for and taking one of the 10 certification examinations in one of the job categories in either adult or juvenile corrections or a security threat group. This article outlines the features of the examinations and presents data that show all of the tests reliably measure a candidate's ability to perform effectively in his/her job category. 2 tables and 14 notes