In order to qualify to become a correctional officer in the state of Tennessee, you must first successfully meet a set of basic requirements and standards.
The Tennessee Department of Corrections mandates that all applicants be of good moral character. You must also have no convictions for a felony charge or it must be currently discharged. Prior service military personnel must have been discharged under an honorable condition to be eligible.
In addition to the requirements listed below, you will need to have a willingness and ability to qualify, carry, and use assigned weapons. Keep in mind; you will receive the necessary firearms training at the appropriate point in the hiring process.
The basic requirements that a prospective applicant must meet include the following:
- Be 18 Years of Age at the time of application
- Be a U.S citizen
- Have a Valid Driver’s License
- Have a High School Diploma or Educational Equivalent (GED)
- Complete the Criminal History Form & Provide a Fingerprint Sample
- Pass a Physical and Psychological Examination
- Submit & Pass a Pre-Employment Drug Screening Test
Please note that there isn’t a test that must be taken in order to become a correctional officer in the state of Tennessee. You will however be required to complete the Tennessee Correction Academy course of instruction.
This training will take place after you have successfully been interviewed and place for training if you are selected. The 6-Weeks of training must be completed by new correctional officers prior to assuming their full time duties. The training provided by the Tennessee Correction Academy primarily consists of inmate supervision, firearms qualification, self-defense, mechanical restraints, searches, interpersonal skills, inmate rights, report writing, and interpersonal skills.
For more information, and details on how you can submit your application, visit the Tennessee Department of Corrections website at this link.
They’re really rather loose on the whole “good moral character” thing. Whitney Marie Mattingly had an affair with a married man while at the corrections academy in Tullahoma. Oh, and his wife was 9 months pregnant at the time. Everyone at the academy knew about it and they both kept their jobs and were able to graduate and advance into their respective jobs. So “good moral character???” Not such a high priority for the state of Tennessee.
That kind of thing happens all the time. Staff at TCA think it is funny. They tell people in training that they call that having a “TULLAHOMA W I F E.” Appears to be actively encouraged. Guess their lives are so boring that they have to create excitement. Or they are too lazy to enforce disciplinary actions. I hear they are told by the prisons not to kick anyone out of the academy because the prisons are running frighteningly under-staffed, and will hire anyone with a pulse.
Trainees are paid for 40 hours work at the TCA, yet they keep them on the run from before sunup until way after sundown. Sounds like UNPAID OVERTIME to me. What do younger cadets do when they have school-age children left at home and they are not given a chance to talk to the little ones before bedtime, and only get to see them about one day a week? Also, most of that day is spent preparing to return to the Tullahoma site.
Most everything the academy and TDOC do appears to be to alienate personnel from family, foster inappropriate relationships, and end up with on-the-job pregnancies. TDOC is ANTI-FAMILY and doesn’t even pretend to be pro-family or pro-community.
Back on the job, co-workers are worse than inmates. TDOC fosters illicit relations between co-workers, and favoritism is given to female officers who service male corrections personnel of rank. Concern for family and community is nonexistent. Staff involved in these relationships are not disciplined. Work “couples” are discussed with a wink-wink and no concern for the lack of ethical behavior.
What the academy like is there a lot of pt. Single rooms? Is it a live in academy?
Morning pt dinky rooms academy is mon-fri home on wknds gotta be back by 10p sun night