Calipatria prison hosts third junior academy

December 7, 2024

Calipatria State Prison hosted its third Junior Correctional Officer Academy for staff and their children. The academy was created to provide Calipatria staff with an opportunity to create a meaningful experience with their children.

Held Nov. 26, the academy offers a kid-friendly version of academy life similar to what custody staff went through.

A day at the Calipatria Junior Correctional Officer Academy

Kids and their parents register for the Calipatria junior academy while a fire engine can be seen behind them. — Registration for the Calipatria junior academy.

An adult demonstrates cardiopulmonary resuscitation at the academy. — Registration for the Calipatria junior academy.

At 7 a.m., the children were dropped off for registration while wearing their academy company shirts. The junior cadets filled out their application form followed by an interview process, ensuring they met the minimum qualifications. Once the application and interview process were complete, each junior cadet reported to their assigned squads. They formed up to receive some words of encouragement from Warden Roberto Arias.

Eager to embark on this new adventure, the cadets posed for a group picture and set off for the academy. Each company selected a junior cadet as the guidon, the person responsible for carrying their company flag. State employees volunteered to act as company commanders, mentoring the cadets while ensuring they had fun throughout the academy.

Beginning with the basics

Group photo of some of the kids with their mentors at the Calipatria junior academy.

Half of the group reported to the In-Service Training Department, beginning their day with basic training in policies and procedures. The training was followed with photos and a presentation by the transportation staff. This included a show-and-tell of the transportation vehicles and a tour of the institution on the fire engine, thanks to Calipatria State Prison’s Fire Department.

The second half of the junior academy consisted of six, 20-minute rotations with the cadets introduced to a variety of training experiences. Training rotations were led by staff from the Investigative Services Unit, Crisis Response Team, nursing education, and armory. After each rotation, junior cadets had their academy gold cards signed, acknowledging completion.

At the end of the day, the cadets had one more task to perform before they could complete the academy and graduate: an interview with the warden. As they were all in formation and after chanting their company motto, the warden asked them an important question: “Did you have fun?”

The cadets responded in unison, loudly responding “yes.” The warden congratulated them for completing the academy and the cadets subsequently received their certificate of completion.

Kids and their parents listen to the warden at Calipatria State Prison's junior academy graduation. — Junior academy graduation at Calipatria State Prison.

Parent feedback

“I thought it was a fun and educational way to expose children to our work environment and see part of what goes on here at the institution on a daily basis. (Many) were surprised our incarcerated population had so many programs and education available to them,” said Office Technician Baylee Soto. “It also gave them a little insight into if this is a career they would be interested in their future. I also thought it was a great team building for staff who participated/attended.”

Facility B Office Technician Brittany Mariscal said it was a great opportunity for the children.

“I really appreciated that my children were able to see where I work and had the ability to be exposed to what we see and do on a daily basis,” Mariscal said.

Another parent said it was a fun bonding experience.

“It was great to see the children interact with their parents at work,” said Office Technician Karen Espinoza.