How to Become a Certified Corrections Professional Through the American Corrections Association

For as long as mankind has lived in a civilized society there has been a need to imprison those people that cannot live by the laws. As a direct result there have been people charged with keeping these criminals under control. Thus was born the profession of corrections. For many years there were not established standards for corrections professionals and the facilities that they worked in. I have been in the profession of corrections for ten years and in that time I have seen a very positive change in the standards for my chosen field.

The American Correctional Association is the oldest correctional association in the world. ACA serves every profession in the corrections arena, from the entry level corrections officers to the healthcare givers. There are over 20,000 active members of the ACA. They span every type of facility from the privately run to the federal facilities that serve our country. However, there are only approximately 700 certified corrections professionals in the corrections profession. In my research the reason for this is that the process of becoming certified as been unknown to the majority of those involved in corrections. Many people have told me that they see becoming certified like the voluntary licensing in the medical field about twenty years ago. Now, as is common knowledge, licensing in the medical field is mandatory.

There are four different disciplines that you can be certified in through the ACA. They are adult, juvenile, healthcare, and security threat groups. The certifications within the adult and juvenile disciplines are further broken down into four levels: Certified Corrections Executive (CCE), Certified Corrections Manager (CCM), Certified Corrections Supervisor (CCS) and Certified Corrections Officer (CCO). The healthcare discipline is comprised of certifications as a Certified Corrections Nurse (CCN) and Certified Corrections Nurse Manager (CCN/M). The fourth discipline is reserved for those corrections professionals whose duties focus on security threat groups. A security threat group is another term for a gang. This term is used because criminal activity can include the simple act of disrupting the routine running of a facility. Within the security threat group discipline there are two levels: Certified Corrections Manager (CCM/STG) and Certified Corrections Supervisor (CCS/STG). The CCE level is for those individuals that sit in a warden or associate warden's chair. The CCM level is geared for those that direct a major program or directorate within a facility. The CCS level is for those corrections professionals that serve in a supervisory capacity, whether with the corrections officers or in another profession. The levels for healthcare professionals and STG follow the same pattern as those for the adult and juvenile disciplines.

The actual process of becoming certified is not a complicated one. The first step is to contact the ACA and request an information packet and application. Once your application has been approved you will need to get the course materials. This can be down through the ACA website, however most facilities will provide these to you. You have two years from the time that you receive the materials to take the certification exam. This can be done with a proctor at your home facility, at one of the two confrences each year, or there are authorized testing centers through out the country. For more details on testing and material fees you should check out the ACA website. The course material is not that much different than that of a correspondence course or online college class. I would suggest that you find a study group of some kind for the material. The facility that I work in will be holding twice weekly sessions to go over the material. It has been suggested to me that each different level study together, however if you do not have enough people per level I would suggest pooling your knowledge and form a study group.

As I have said before the process is not difficult. All it takes is some time and a small financial investment into certification that will pay out huge returns down the road. Even if you decide not to stay in the corrections profession you willingness to go extra mile will speak volumes about your commitment to a demanding career.