LA PLATA, Md. (January 17, 2019)—Charles County Sheriff Troy D. Berry announced that the Southern Maryland Criminal Justice Academy (SMCJA) celebrated the graduation of 11 correctional officers—four from Charles County—from the Corrections Entrance Level Training Program (CELTP), Session 60, at a ceremony held January 4 at La Plata High School in La Plata, MD. The program requires each Correctional Officer to complete an eight-week, 320 hour Basic Corrections Academy, which exceeds the state minimum for all Correctional Officers working in local correctional facilities across Maryland.
"Correctional Officers have the awesome responsibility of not only maintaining the safety and security of the detention center, but they also play an important role in rehabilitation and helping the inmates get on the right track upon their release," said Sheriff Berry. "They walk a tough beat. We are grateful to the instructors who train them so well."
During the ceremony, SMCJA instructors presented awards to two Charles County graduates who excelled in two categories: NiJee McWillis received the Scholastic Achievement Award for earning the highest grade point average in the class, and Brian Wood won the Steve Allen Leadership Award, named after one of the original founders of the SMCJA who died of cancer several years ago.
Sheriff Berry and the men and women of the Charles County Sheriff's Office are proud to welcome our newest Correctional Officers to the CCSO family:
• Correctional Officer Grant Evitts
• Correctional Officer NiJee McWillis
• Correctional Officer Dylan Tayman
• Correctional Officer Brian Wood
Charles Co. Sheriff's Office Welcomes Four New Correctional Officers
Four Charles County Candidates Graduate from the Southern Maryland Criminal Justice Academy Corrections Entrance Level Training Program
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