Correctional Officer

The program is designed to prepare students for employment as a Correctional Officer.

Instruction covers an introduction to the criminal justice system and the Florida Criminal Justice Standards and Training Commission (CJSTC), correctional laws and rules, inmate control techniques, rights and responsibilities, correctional administration, human skills, and behavior.

The curriculum meets the requirements approved by the Florida Department of Law Enforcement.

Program. Correctional Officer is a 445-hour Career and Technical Education certificate program (Florida program number L100200) at Withlacoochee Technical College in Inverness. A certificate of completion and/or licensure eligibility is issued to each student who successfully completes the competencies and meets the basic skills requirement for the program.

Mission. It is the mission of each program in the Training Center to provide the highest level of ethical, modern, and practical training to current and future public safety professionals preparing them for the challenges of today and tomorrow.

Public Safety Training Center. The program is taught at the Citrus County Public Safety Training Center at WTC, an approved training site of the Criminal Justice Standards and Training Commission of the Florida Department of Law Enforcement (FDLE). WTC is accredited by the Council on Occupational Education, celebrating 41 years of accreditation.

Public Safety Training Center enrollment. The Law Enforcement, Corrections and crossover courses have specific steps that must be followed in order to enroll, starting on the Training Center’s Begin Enrollment page; programs are offered twice a year with fixed open-enrollment windows, and tuition and fees must be paid in full before the class starts.

Enrollment process. The enrollment process includes completing the online application, testing and counseling (if required), meeting with an advisor, and paying the nonrefundable enrollment fee. Student Services will arrange tours of the campus and/or appointments with instructors to view the classroom/shop areas.

Residency. Two forms of documentation providing at least 12 consecutive months of residency prior to enrolling, and a completed Residency Affidavit, are needed to qualify for in-state tuition. Honorably discharged veterans and other students using educational assistance from the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs may qualify for an out-of-state fee waiver.

Transfer of credit. Students who attended other accredited technical centers may submit copies of their records at the time of application; records are reviewed by counselors in conjunction with individual instructors to determine if credit can be transferred.

Program admission requirements. In addition to the WTC admission requirements, applicants must complete the following requirements:

• Attend an Academy Introduction.
• Provide the Academy Secretary with a valid email address. All correspondence will be completed electronically.
• Schedule a Criminal Justice Basic Abilities Test (CJBAT) and obtain a passing score of 70.
• Schedule a Physical Exam with your doctor/clinic and have your physician complete and sign the Criminal Justice Standards and Training Commission (CJSTC) Form 75. (Physical must be within 6 months of class start date.)
• Schedule an appointment with the Academy Secretary to drop off your application with all required documents. Applications and all required documents will be provided following attendance at the introduction. Incomplete applications will NOT be accepted.
• Candidates must complete their Physical Agility Test (PAT) in under 10 minutes.

FDLE admission requirements. To attend the Academy, you must meet the FDLE requirements listed below. In compliance with Florida Statute 943.13, all applicants must:

• Be 18 years of age or older.
• Be a U.S. citizen.
• Have a valid Florida driver’s license.
• Have a high school diploma, GED® credential, or equivalent as defined by Florida Statute
• Have a background investigation completed by WTC through the Florida Department of Law Enforcement (FDLE) and Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI).
• Have never been convicted of a felony charge.
• Not have been convicted of any felony or of a misdemeanor involving perjury or false statement. Any person who, after July 1, 1981, pleads guilty or nolo contendere to, or is found guilty of, a felony, or of a misdemeanor involving perjury or a false statement, shall not be eligible for employment or appointment as an officer, notwithstanding suspension of sentence of withholding of adjudication.
• Have good physical agility and hand-eye coordination.
• Never have received a dishonorable discharge from any of the Armed Forces of the United States.
• Be of good moral character.
• Pass random drug screening.

Schedule. Schedule: January 11, 2027, 0800 - 1700 hrs., Monday - Friday (may include several Saturdays and Sundays); full time, approximately four (4) months. Open enrollment September 1 - December 2, 2026; Physical Abilities Test (PAT) December 3, 2026; uniform ordering December 4, 2026; tuition and fees paid in full by December 8, 2026. Two programs are offered per year.

Enrollment. Post-secondary students enroll in this program on a full-time basis. The typical student would complete this program in 445 hours. Students must also have reliable transportation. Portions of the curriculum may require attendance on Saturdays and Sundays.

Calendar. WTC uses a two-session calendar. The fall session, for most programs, starts in the beginning of August and ends in December; the spring session starts in January and ends in May. Short programs and licensure programs may start earlier or later than this schedule, and some programs, such as the Florida Law Enforcement Academy, are offered in the evenings and on weekends. Unless otherwise specified for the program, full-time post-secondary students attend class Monday through Friday with a scheduled 30-minute lunch break.