The Hampden County Sheriff’s Office (HCSO) oversees a 13-week Western Massachusetts County Correctional Officers Academy for basic training. New correctional officers are indoctrinated into a paramilitary team-building environment. During these 13 weeks of intensive training, recruits are instructed in the best correctional practices based on a curriculum from the Massachusetts Sheriffs' Association and Education Training Committee.
The training within the 520 hours of the curriculum includes Civil Liability, Defensive Tactics, Ethics/Professionalism, CPR, Firearms, Criminal and Constitutional Law, Powers of the Sheriff, and Communication Skills. The Academy is designed to challenge the recruits both physically and intellectually with measurable progress obtained through physical fitness testing and weekly written examinations. The goal of the academy is to achieve professional excellence by molding well-rounded correctional staff, which embodies the Sheriff’s motto of Commitment to Community, Dedication to Excellence.
Upon completion of the academy, new correctional officers are assigned a mentor as part of the mentorship program. This program is designed to help staff adapt to the culture of a jail, shift work, problem-solving, and as a sounding board to work through the challenges of this career.