Policy

Policy 1. The Board shall certify as detention officers those persons who meet the employment guidelines and re-qualify by successfully completing the current standardized detention officer course of the Jail Officer Training Program. A. The certification of any detention officer shall lapse after a break in service of more than two years. B. If a detention officer, who is grandfathered under the program, leaves employment as a detention officer, and does not become a detention officer within two years, the officer will be required to meet all the requirement of the Jail Officer Training Program. C. Detention officers trained or certified by other jurisdictions are required to meet all the requirements of the Jail Officer Training Program. D. Correctional Officers, who successfully complete the Mississippi Department of Corrections’ training program after May 13, 2004, that meet the current employment guidelines shall be certified without further training, if the officer does not have a break in detention employment of more than two years. E. Any officer, certified in this state, whose break in service was due to serving as a detention officer in another state or federal jurisdiction may restore their certification provided that the break in service is not more than four years. 1. Applicants must have completed the detention officer course and met the current employment guidelines. 2. Applicants must have not had a break in service of more than four years. 3. Applicants must have served in a full-time capacity as a detention officer in one of the following positions (or other position as approved by the Board): a. A municipal, county, or other detention officer appointed or employed full- time in a recognized political subdivision of any state, province or territory of the United States of America who has as their primary duty the detention of inmates. b. An agent, officer or other detention officer appointed or employed full-time by the United States Department of Justice or subdivisions, the Department of Defense or its recognized military service branches, the Department of the Interior or the District of Columbia who has as their primary duty the detention of inmates. F. It is incumbent upon the detention officer’s agency to ensure that all officers obtain certification within established time limits. Employers should ensure that all applications for certification are submitted on a timely basis. Once the staff has provided instructions for the certification of a particular officer, employers should enroll their officer in the approved course so that each officer will be assured of completing any and all requirements within the two-year period.