What Hamilton County Jail's Corrections Academy Teaches New Officers (10-week overview)

Hamilton County Jail hires Corrections Officers into a paid, 10-week Corrections Academy. New officers aren't handed a uniform and sent straight onto the floor. Instead, there's a structured onboarding period where they train before taking on day-to-day responsibilities.

Core Curriculum

• ✓ Teamwork
• ✓ Inmate communication and de-escalation tactics
• ✓ Physical conditioning
• ✓ Defensive tactics
• ✓ First aid
• ✓ Laws and regulations

A few of these topics matter immediately in real jail work. Inmate communication and de-escalation tactics are about keeping situations from boiling over - using the right words, tone, and approach to reduce conflict. Defensive tactics and laws/regulations go hand-in-hand with that: officers are trained to respond safely and within the rules when a situation doesn’t resolve with communication alone.

To qualify as a Corrections Officer candidate, you'll need at least a high school diploma or GED. This is a baseline requirement for getting hired and moving into the academy.

• ✓ Drug screening
• ✓ Medical examination by a licensed physician
• ✓ CVSA (lie detector)

For families, the key takeaway: new officers complete a paid, 10-week academy focused on practical, safety-centered skills - communication, de-escalation, defensive tactics, and first aid. For applicants, think of the academy as job training with real standards. You're being prepared to handle tense moments, follow laws and regulations, and respond when someone needs medical help.