GRADUATION CEREMONY FOR NINE NEW ADULT CORRECTIONS OFFICERS
HILO — The Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation (DCR) welcomed a new class of nine new adult corrections officers (ACO) at a graduation ceremony Friday, Oct. 17, 2025, at the University of Hawaiʻi at Hilo – Performing Arts Center. The graduates from Basic Corrections Recruit Class (BCRC) 25-04B completed training and will begin their careers as Adult Corrections Officers at facilities on Hawaiʻi island.
Since DCR was redesignated from the Department of Public Safety in January 2024, the department compressed its recruit training course to eight weeks from 11 weeks, while still covering critical training to ensure ACOs are well-prepared for their jobs.
Last year, the department also doubled its recruit classes to six from three to address the staffing shortage at facilities in Hawai‘i. DCR aims to have eight classes by the end of this year.
Today’s class is the seventh class to graduate from recruit training this year.
DCR Director Tommy Johnson said, “We are proud of every graduate in this class who worked extremely hard to successfully complete the rigorous training course. They represent a new generation of dedicated corrections officers who will one day become leaders in the corrections field.”
There are approximately 1,100 filled ACO positions and an estimated 420 vacant ACO positions.
Recruit training comprises of more than 300 hours of classroom instruction and physical training. Recruits learn a variety of subjects that include standards of conduct, ethics and professionalism, report writing, interpersonal communications, maintaining security, crisis intervention, security threat groups (gangs), mental health, first aid, use of firearms and self-defense tactics.
All incoming classes receive Recruit Field Training along with Basic Corrections Training. During the final weeks of training, they go into the facility where they begin their jobs with guidance from their training sergeants.
The nine graduates have been assigned to the following correctional facilities:
- Hawaiʻi Community Correctional Center: 5
- Kulani Correctional Facility: 4
B-roll and photos of the graduation ceremony, courtesy of the Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation, are available at the following link: https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1vNzE2GruRKzeM-KsxK2arBEMIU4NYGOP?usp=drive_link.
Media contact:
Rosemarie Bernardo
Public Information Officer
Hawaiʻi Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation
Office: 808-587-1358
Cell: 808-683-5507
Email:[email protected]
Website: https://dcr.hawaii.gov