Province Begins Training New Recruits in Sudbury
Training for 24 new correctional officers for institutions across Northern Ontario is now underway in Sudbury through the Correctional Officer Training and Assessment (COTA) North program to further increase staffing levels in the province's northern correctional facilities, enhance program delivery and improve staff and inmate safety.
The 24 new recruits, who come from communities across Northern Ontario, must complete a comprehensive eight-week training program before being deployed to an institution. The program includes mental health training, Indigenous cultural training, inmate management techniques and ongoing training and job coaching following deployment.
The COTA North initiative is part of Ontario's commitment to promote cultural and geographic diversity within correctional services by ensuring correctional officers are reflective of the communities they serve. Recruits in this class are from the North Bay, Sault Ste. Marie, Sudbury, Penetanguishene, Timmins and Thunder Bay areas.
Adding correctional officers who are reflective of the diverse communities they serve is a key part of the government's transformation of Ontario's correctional system to build safer communities.
Graduates will be deployed to:
- Algoma Treatment and Remand Centre (4)
- Central North Correctional Centre in Penetanguishene (2)
- Montieth Correctional Complex (6)
- North Bay Jail (4)
- Sudbury Jail (3)
- Thunder Bay Correctional Centre (2)
- Thunder Bay Jail (3).
