DOCC Instructor Certification

The Commission requires instructors to be certified as specified in Rule .0903 prior to the delivery of a course of instruction in the Detention Officer Certification Course. An individual meeting the qualifications of a General Detention Officer Instructor, Professional Lecturer, or Limited Lecturer may make application to the Division.

General Detention Officer Instructor Certification

As specified in Rule .0904, in order to become certified as a General Detention Officer Instructor, an individual must possess the following:

Completion of a Commission approved Detention Officer Certification Course or current general or grandfather certification as a detention officer or correctional officer.
Provide proper documentation indicating current General Instructor Certification status with the Criminal Justice Commission.
Not have had any type of certification from this Commission, from the NC Criminal Justice Education and Training Standards Commission, or from any commission pursuant to the above mentioned to have been revoked, suspended or denied for cause.

As specified in Rule .0905, an individual applying for and meeting the above listed requirements may teach any block of instruction in the Detention Officer Certification Course, except for those requiring Limited Lecturer Certification. Once becoming certified by the Division, he/she will be placed on a probationary period for twelve (12) months.

At the end of the instructor’s probationary period, the instructor may be eligible to receive full Detention Officer Instructor Certification by submitting the following to the Division:

An evaluation signed by a school director, Commission member or staff, or by a certified full Detention Officer Instructor, to include a minimum of eight (8) hours of instruction taught in a Commission-approved delivery of the Detention Officer Certification Course during the probationary period.
A current copy of the instructor’s General Instructor Certification with the Criminal Justice Commission.
An application for full certification.

Once the instructor has received a full instructor certificate, the renewal period will be every three years.

At the end of the renewal period, an instructor must meet the following Commission requirements before renewing certification:

An evaluation signed by a school director, Commission member or staff, or by a certified full Detention Officer Instructor, to include a minimum of twelve (12) hours of instruction taught in a Commission-approved delivery of the Detention Officer Certification Course during the previous three-year certification period.
A current copy of the instructor’s General Instructor Certification with the Criminal Justice Commission.
An application for renewal.

Professional Lecturer Certification

As specified in Rule .0906, in order to become certified as a Professional Lecturer, an applicant must submit the following information to the Division:

An application signed by a certified Detention Officer Certification Course school director.
Produce proper documentation of graduation from an accredited law school.

Once an applicant for Professional Lecturer Certification has been evaluated and approved, the instructor may then teach only the legal portion of the Detention Officer Certification Course which is entitled “Legal Aspects of Jail Management and Supervision.”The certification will remain valid for three (3) years. The Professional Lecturer will be responsible for submitting a renewal application to the Division prior to the end of the expiration of his/her certification.

Limited Lecturer Certification

As outlined in Rule .0908, the Commission’s current Detention Officer Certification Course contains five (5) limited blocks of instruction which may only be taught by those individuals experienced and holding proper specialized certification in the training area(s) required for those particular limited blocks.

The following are the types of Limited Lecturer certifications and the specialized training required in order to become certified as an instructor:

First Aid and CPR – Certified Standard First Aid Instructor with the American Red Cross, licensed physician, family nurse practitioner, licensed practical nurse, registered nurse, physician’s assistant or EMT.
Medical Care in the Jail – Licensed physician, family nurse practitioner, licensed practical nurse, registered nurse, physician’s assistant or EMT.
Subject Control Techniques – Successful completion of N.C. Criminal Justice Commission’s Specialized Instructor Training “Defensive Tactics”; and certified by the Criminal Justice Commission as a specific Defensive Tactics Instructor, and completion of any and all updates as required by the curriculum developer.
Fire Emergencies in the Jail – Certified Fire Instructor with the .N.C. Fire Commission or certified specialized Explosives and Hazardous Material instructor with the Criminal Justice Commission.
Physical Fitness for Detention Officers – Certified as a Physical Fitness Instructor by the Criminal Justice Commission.

If an individual meets all of the requirements listed above related to a specific Limited Lecturer block of instruction, he/she should apply to the Division by submitting a complete application signed by a Detention Officer Certification Course school director, along with a current copy of the certificate and/or other documentation which indicates the specialized training area(s) of the instructor. In addition, for all topic areas listed above the qualified applicant must submit current valid CPR certification to perform CPR and which was obtained by the applicant having shown proficiency both cognitively and through skills testing.If an application is approved, the Limited Lecturer instructor will be placed on a probationary period for twelve (12) months.

The instructor is responsible for submitting the following documentation to the Division prior to the instructor’s expiration date:

A renewal application to obtain Full Certification.
An evaluation signed by a school director, Commission member or staff indicating a minimum of four (4) hours in each topic area in which the instructor is certified to instruct in their areas of expertise.
A copy of the current specialized documentation in each area certified to instruct in the Detention Officer Certification Course.

After the Division has received the above information and full Limited Lecturer Certification is issued, the instructor will be renewed every three (3) years.

Prior to the end of each renewal period, the instructor is responsible for submitting the following to the Division in order to renew the full Limited Lecturer Certification:

A renewal application to obtain Full Certification.
An evaluation signed by a school director, Commission member or staff member, indicating a minimum of six (6) hours taught in each topic area in which the instructor is certified to instruct in their areas of expertise.
A copy of the current specialized documentation in each area certified to instruct in the Detention Officer Certification Course.