Ontario hiring 53 correctional officer graduates

The Central East Correctional Centre in Lindsay is among the adult jails to benefit from Ontario’s hiring of new correctional officer graduates.

On Friday, the province announced it was hiring 53 graduates who will be assigned to 15 institutions across Ontario. A breakdown of the deployment numbers was not available.

“Correctional officers are essential partners in Ontario’s justice system and perform a great service that contributes to community safety across the province,” said Sylvia Jones, Minister of Community Safety and Correctional Services. “I would like to congratulate every person graduating this week for their hard work and commitment.

There are 25 adult correctional facilities in Ontario and the average number of adults in custody across the province in 2017-18 was 7,474 per day.

Of the 53 hires, nine are from Northern Ontario communities and will be deployed to institutions in the region.

“Correctional officers from the North, trained in the North and serving at institutions in the North are uniquely qualified to help inmates in the North rebuild their lives and reduce the risk of re-offending,” Jones said.

The graduates had to complete the Correctional Officer Training and Assessment (COTA) program which the province says is a comprehensive eight-week program that includes mental health training, Indigenous cultural training, inmate management techniques and ongoing training and job coaching following deployment.

Officers will also be deployed to:

• Algoma Treatment and Remand Centre
• Central North Correctional Centre
• Elgin Middlesex Detention Centre
• Kenora Jail
• Maplehurst Correctional Complex
• Monteith Correctional Complex
• Niagara Detention Centre
• Ottawa Carleton Detention Centre
• Quinte Detention Centre
• Thunder Bay Correctional Centre
• Thunder Bay Jail
• Toronto East Detention Centre
• Toronto South Detention Centre
• Vanier Centre for Women