(Decatur, GA) – The Georgia Department of Juvenile Justice (DJJ) graduated 35 Juvenile Correctional Officer (JCO) cadets during a ceremony held Friday, July 24, at the Georgia Public Safety Training Center (GPSTC) in Forsyth, Ga.

“Juvenile Correctional Officers play a critical role in helping provide an environment that promotes the positive development of youth in our care,” said Commissioner Shawanda Reynolds-Cobb. We welcome them to our team of juvenile justice professionals.” 

Basic Juvenile Correctional Officer Training (BJCOT) is a comprehensive 200-hour program that provides basic skills training in security practices and procedures. To complete the program, a cadet must meet established standards on written examinations that evaluate cognitive knowledge and performance-oriented studies.

The graduates are assigned to a DJJ detention center or development campus in Baldwin, Bibb, Chatham, Dalton, Floyd, Fulton, Hall, Muscogee, Richmond, and Wilkes counties. 

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The Georgia Department of Juvenile Justice is a multi-faceted agency that serves the state's justice-involved youth up to 21 years of age. The Department's mission is to transform young lives by providing evidence-based rehabilitative treatment services and supervision, strengthening youth and families' well-being, and fostering safe communities.