Latest class of Georgia juvenile correctional officers graduates

DECATUR – The Georgia Department of Juvenile Justice held a graduation ceremony for 56 newly trained Juvenile Correctional Officer cadets recently at the Georgia Public Safety Training Center in Forsyth. The cadets have joined the ranks of other JCOs at DJJ secure facilities across the state.

“Our Juvenile Correctional Officers work to ensure a safe and secure environment for rehabilitating and transforming the young lives we serve,” DJJ Commissioner Shawanda Reynolds-Cobb said. “I am thankful for these new officers’ commitment to helping justice-involved youth take steps towards a bright future.”

Basic Juvenile Correctional Officer Training is a 200-hour comprehensive program that provides basic skills training in security practices and procedures. To complete the program, a cadet must meet established standards on written examinations that evaluate cognitive knowledge and performance-oriented studies.

The graduates are assigned to a DJJ detention center or development campus in Bibb, Chatham, Clayton, Cobb, Crisp, Dalton, Dodge, DeKalb, Evans, Floyd, Fulton, Hall, Laurens, Muscogee, Richmond, Rockdale, Thomas, Ware and Wilkes counties.

The BJCOT Class No. 268 graduates and their hometowns are:

Harold Anderson — Miami, Fla.

Matthew Barnhill — Waycross

Brandon Battle — Clearwater, Fla.

Jakeia Brooks — Fort Pierce, Fla.

Brice Buchhorn — Stephenville, Texas

Raven Christopher — Thomasville

Christopher Coleman — Atlanta

Arianna Daniels — Marietta

Re’iyces Daniely — Macon

Charles Davis — Atlanta

Kirk Dunham — Chicago, Ill.

Jakyra Edmundson — Rome

Jamal Evans — Atlanta

Natasha Farinha

Lovely Foster — Columbus

Antonio Francis — Belle Glade, Fla.

Ashlee Funderburk — St. Petersburg, Fla.

Felicia Gladmon — Atlanta

Brock Gonyea — Cartersville

Asia Harris — Atlanta

Nikki Haynes — Milledgeville

Kristian Hearns — New Jersey

Bre’shayla Heggs — Sandersville

Chekeira Hicks — Savannah

Jakayla Hodnett

Dreammer Jefferies — Stone Mountain

Tramaya Kemp — Augusta

Kevin Klingman — Snellville

Shenna Little — New York, N.Y.

Lorna Louden — New Jersey

Mikia Martin — Eastman,

Julian Mata — Hanford, Calif.

Ke’Ontay McRae — Milan

Reeva Money — Rome

Chanquilla Nelson — Atlanta

William Ortiz-Santiago — Ponce, Puerto Rico

Lavieanna Payton — Miami, Fla.

Shenieka Peele — West Palm Beach, Fla.

Amara Peters — Columbus, Ohio

Samantha Ranew — Statesboro

Shania Richardson — Claxton

Cristobal Romero– Crescent City, Calif.

Rushanna Roper — New York, N.Y.

Samira Ruffin — St. Petersburg, Fla.

Chan-tay Smith — Columbus

Shanaya Smith — Minnesota

Vernée Smith — Atlanta

Kathleen Taylor

Vernon Taylor — Grenada, West Indies

Tarique Thomas — Columbus

Thomas Usischon — New York, N.Y.

Caleb Walkey — Dalton

Daja Washington — Dublin

Devin Williams — Tallahassee, Fla.

Michelle Williams — Miami, Fla.

Briasia Young Marietta

The Georgia Department of Juvenile Justice is a multifaceted agency that serves the state’s justice-involved youths up to 21 years of age. The department’s mission is to transform young lives by providing evidence-based rehabilitative treatment services and supervision, strengthening youth and families’ well-being, and fostering safe communities. Visit the department online at www.djj.georgia.gov.

Special Photo: DJJ