West Virginia Division of Corrections graduates more than 50 new cadets

GLENVILLE, W.Va. (WBOY) — More than 50 cadets will soon be starting their careers at jails and correctional facilities in West Virginia after graduating from the West Virginia Division of Corrections and Rehabilitation’s (WVDCR) Basic Training program on Friday.

The cadets who graduated were part of Class 86 and received certificates from Commissioner William Marshall during the ceremony in Glenville.

“We graduated another 52 cadets today and service workers, or support staff I should say that brings us over 400 graduates this year alone since Jan. 1. If you go back to October, we’ve probably hired close to 600 individuals, and so, it’s a great day. The families are here, everybody is in celebration and now the work just now begins for them,” said Marshall.

The need for correctional officers in the state has been an ongoing issue for a few years now to the point where Gov. Jim Justice issued a state of emergency for state corrections facilities that lasted from 2022 to May 2024 . During that time, Justice said that a total of 731 West Virginia National Guardsmen worked in 17 West Virginia corrections facilities.

One cadet told 12 News the lack of correctional officers inspired his career decision.

“I wanted to be part of something bigger than myself, a team where I could be a leader and where I could learn more. There was a lot of vacancies, and I thought that I could, I could make a difference, so I wanted to step into a position and be a part of that team,” Correctional Officer 1 Carter Lasick said.

According to a press release from Gov. Justice’s Office, the WVDCR has welcomed a total of 429 graduates into its ranks so far this year, nearly equaling the total amount in 2023, when 483 officers and staff graduated.

“What we really want to do is make sure we keep them, because, you know, recruiting was going okay, but we weren’t retaining them, so if they come in one door and go out the other door, and they don’t come back, that’s not a successful mission for us. So, we want to make sure that we get them in. We don’t trick them in, we bring them in, give them a good, a good decent pay, have great facilities to work in, safe, secure—we’re fixing things. We’ve got, like I said, more officers on the floor that creates a safer environment,” said Marshall.

The WV DCR oversees West Virginia’s 11 prisons, 10 regional jails, 10 juvenile centers, 13 Parole Services Offices, 22 Youth Reporting Centers and three work-release sites. For more information about employment opportunities with the WV DCR, you can visit dcr.wv.gov/careers .

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