A new group of correctional officers is on the job at Idaho Department of Correction facilities statewide.
The 41 members of Correctional Officer Academy #52 took the Oath of Honor June 19, 2015 at the Peace Officer Standards Training Academy in Meridian.
Photos of the event can be seen on IDOC's Facebook page, idoc.alert.
In his remarks, the president of the class, Cameron W. Mitchell, told his classmates that as officers their job will be to help offenders turn around their lives.
“These people will get out at some time. They will be our brothers, neighbors, sisters -- whatever it is in the public,” Mitchell said. “We want them to enter back into society when they get out as normal as can be.”
Idaho State Correctional Institution Warden Keith Yordy delivered the graduation address. He urged the graduates to take advantage of the wide variety of career opportunities IDOC offers.
“Whether you elect to stay in a security role or move to programs, education or probation and parole, the opportunities that are ahead of you are limitless,” Yordy said. “Realize that right now, today, you are auditioning for these positions. Your resume is being written and in fact, you have been writing your resume from the first day you started.”
Yordy says during his three decades with IDOC, he has learned many things and he emphasized the three points he considers to be the most important.
At the conclusion of the ceremony, the class did something novel.
The class president, Mitchell, brought the group back into the gymnasium where they surprised the audience with a a round of push-ups.
Mitchell said it was their way of paying tribute to their training specialist, Dave Heimer, who was fond of having the class do push-ups during their six-week training period.