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SEA
GIRT - Badges and certificates were awarded
to 23 juvenile correction officers today by
the New Jersey Juvenile Justice Commission
(JJC) as it graduated its 25th class of law
enforcement officers.
The 17-week training course
is held at the Juvenile Justice Commission
Training Academy in Sea Girt. The course
includes firearms training, first aid/CPR,
use of Automated External Defibrillators
(AED), physical training, the history of
the family court and juvenile justice system
in New Jersey, and defensive tactics.
Deborah
Edwards, Chief of Staff, Office of the Attorney
General delivered the keynote address at
the graduation ceremony stating, ”On
behalf of Attorney General Jeffrey Chiesa,
it is my pleasure to join you today as we
celebrate the completion of your preparation
to be Juvenile Justice Commission Correction
Officers. Each graduate has made a commitment
not only to the residents of the JJC and
the Department of Law and Public Safety,
but to the residents of this state whose
safety we are charged to protect.”
In 1999, the JJC was authorized by the Police
Training Commission to take over the training
duties that were previously handled by the
State Department of Corrections (DOC) to
juvenile correction officers. This change
allowed the JJC to design and implement
a unique training curriculum specific to
the needs of law enforcement officers who
work with juveniles.
“As
the single state agency charged to reform
the juvenile justice system, it makes sense
that the JJC provides training specifically
tailored to help officers meet the challenges
and the very different needs of juvenile
residents,” stated Gloria R. Hancock,
Ed.D., Acting Executive Director, JJC. ”The
JJC is proud of its academy and the state-of-the-art
curriculum that its staff has developed
to teach officers how to maintain a safe
environment for themselves, the juvenile
residents and their colleagues. Ensuring
that custody staff have the knowledge and
the tools to do their jobs to the best of
their abilities plays an important part
in helping juveniles turn their lives around.”
The JJC is the single state agency responsible
for providing juvenile correctional rehabilitation
and parole services. The JJC cares for New
Jersey’s high risk and increasingly
vulnerable youth. The agency has a unique
and pivotal opportunity to redirect the
lives of the youth in its custody. The JJC
operates three secure care facilities and
sixteen residential community homes and
day treatment facilities. In addition, the
JJC is responsible for the parole and transitional
services for youth when they return home
from the JJC’s custody.
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