SELMA, Ala. – On Thursday, the Alabama Department of Corrections Training Academy graduated 35 correctional officers who took one step closer to a career in corrections.

Former New York City Department of Correction Deputy Commissioner and 28-year veteran of the Federal Bureau of Prisons, Charles Daniels, delivered the commencement address.

“The Alabama Department of Corrections is in good hands because of the men and women like you. Integrity will be your hallmark in which you are known, and you will carry yourself as a beacon of hope in which others will know you are a corrections professional,” Daniels told the graduates.

Alabama correctional officers complete one of the most rigorous and demanding corrections academies in the country. Graduates must pass all academic and physical training requirements of the 12-week course, and receive certification from the Alabama Peace Officers’ Standards and Training Commission to serve as law enforcement officers in the Department of Corrections.

The new class of correctional officers will begin their career with the ALDOC at various correctional facilities across the state. The next correctional officer academy begins in February.