SPRINGFIELD, Ill. (WAND) - Over the past year, employees with the Illinois Department of Corrections have been in the spotlight for claims of sexual assault and abuse.
At the department's training center, instructors like Brett Oswald are working hard to make sure these types of things don't happen.
"When the courts sentence someone to the Illinois Department of Corrections, we want to make sure we've got staff that are respectful, educated staff that are professional and hopefully leading by example that hopefully, the offenders will want to follow to better their lives," Oswald said.
Manager of the academy, Tiffany Whitten, said from day one, the cadets learn about professionalism and accountability.
"We do have over almost 13,000 staff, with 39,000 offenders and 29 facilities," Whitten said. "You might have one situation that comes up, but at the end of the day, as a whole, the agency represents very well on a professional level."
Whitten said cadets at the academy go through a range of curriculum and learn how to work as a team to meet their goals.
"We believe in transparency and communication," Whitten said. "We try to provide them all of the different areas that (are) a requirement for the position, from the legal ramifications to interactions with the offender population."
According to Oswald, the most important thing a cadet can learn is professionalism and respect.
"We're out here trying to build the best we can, and bring people up and get more out of them that they originally expected from themselves," Oswald said.
The department said it is always looking to hire. Interested applicants can stop by its booth at the Illinois State Fair to meet with recruiters or apply online.
