Ontario starts training 144 new correctional officers for province’s jails

TORONTO – The province has started training 144 new correctional officers to increase staffing levels at Ontario’s jails.

The government says the new recruits will help improve staff and inmate safety and improve program delivery at correctional facilities.

It says the group is the largest class of recruits to enter the Ontario Correctional Services College to date.

Get breaking National news

For news impacting Canada and around the world, sign up for breaking news alerts delivered directly to you when they happen.

Sign up for breaking National newsletter Sign Up

By providing your email address, you have read and agree to Global News' Terms and Conditions and Privacy Policy.

READ MORE: Ontario corrections staff avoid strike, reach tentative deal

Recruits will complete an eight week course which includes mental health training, inmate management techniques and an assessment and evaluation.

Graduates will then be sent to provincial facilities across Ontario starting in March.

The training of the new recruits comes as the province reached a deal with 6,000 jail guards and probation officers last weekend, narrowly averting a strike.