Corrections Standards Authority
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About State Selection and Training Standards for Correctional Peace Officers
Selection standards include the qualifications for vision, hearing, medical screenings, background investigations, physical abilities, written examinations, psychological screenings, and minimum qualifications. Training standards include modules (academy and in-service training) that prescribe the course content, instructional hours, performance objectives, and testing requirements. Standards developed through evidence based job analysis research are the industry and court approved method of ensuring that selection programs appropriately match prospective employees to the requirements of a job and that training programs support successful job performance.
SSATS is responsible for developing selection and training standards for nine entry level correctional peace officer classifications:
- Correctional Officer
- Youth Correctional Officer
- Parole Agent (Adult)
- Parole Agent (Juvenile)
- Correctional Counselor (Adult)
- Youth Correctional Counselor
- Case Worker Specialist
- Medical Technical Assistant (Juvenile)
- Fire Captain, Correctional Institution (Adult)
In addition, SSATS is responsible for developing training standards for an additional 33 advanced rank and file, and first and second line correctional peace officer supervisory classifications in the areas of care and supervision of offenders, medical treatment, counseling and classification, parole services, investigation and fire fighting.
- Correctional Counselor I, BPT
- Parole Agent II Specialist (Juvenile)
- Parole Agent II Specialist (Adult)
- Parole Agent II Specialist (Adult), BPT
- Deputy Inspector General (Entry Level Investigative Program), OIG
- Special Agent (Adult)
- Special Agent (Juvenile)
- Parole Agent III, BPT
- Fire Captain, Training Specialist
- Fire Chief, Correctional Facility (Adult), 1st line Supervisor
- Correctional Sergeant (Adult), 1st line Supervisor
- Correctional Lieutenant (Adult), 2nd line Supervisor
- Youth Correctional Sergeant (Juvenile), 1st line Supervisor
- Youth Correctional Lieutenant (Juvenile), 2nd line Supervisor
- Senior Youth Correctional Counselor (Juvenile), 1st line Supervisor
- Parole Agent II (Juvenile), 1st line Supervisor
- Parole Agent III (Juvenile), 2nd line Supervisor
- Parole Agent II (Adult), 1st line Supervisor
- Parole Agent III (Adult), 1st line Supervisor (PAIII-A)
- Parole Agent Administrator I (Adult), 2nd line Supervisor
- Parole Agent III, BPT
- Special Agent-in-Charge (Adult), 1st line Supervisor
- Senior Special Agent-in-Charge (Adult), 2nd line Supervisor
- Special Agent-in-Charge (Juvenile), 1st line Supervisor
- Senior Special Agent-in-Charge (Juvenile), 2nd line Supervisor
- Senior Medical Technical Assistant Supervisor (Adult), 1st line Supervisor
- Treatment Team Supervisor (Juvenile), 2nd line Supervisor
- Institutional Parole Agent II, (Juvenile), 2nd level Supervisor
- Supervising Casework Specialist I (Juvenile), 1st line Supervisor
- Supervising Casework Specialist II (Juvenile), 2nd line Supervisor
- Correctional Counselor II Supervisor (Adult), 1st line Supervisor
- Correctional Counselor III Supervisor (Adult), 2nd line Supervisor
- Correctional Counselor II Supervisor, BPT
Given the large scope of SSATS responsibility, it is necessary to prioritize standards development. Priority has been placed on the classifications of Correctional Officer, Youth Correctional Officer, and Youth Correctional Counselor. Nearly 80% of all correctional peace officers are employed in these three classifications.
SSATS has completed a comprehensive job analysis of the Correctional Officer, Youth Correctional Officer, and Youth Correctional Counselor classifications. Based on those results, SSATS is currently developing academy training standards, annual training standards, written examination standards, and vision and hearing standards for these classifications.