12 NCAC 09G .0602         GENERAL PROVISIONS

(a)  In order to be eligible for one or more of the professional awards, an officer shall first meet the following preliminary qualifications:

(1)           The officer shall hold a general correctional officer certification. A person serving under a probationary certification is not eligible for consideration. An officer subject to suspension or revocation proceedings or under investigation for possible decertification action by the Commission, the North Carolina Company Police Program, the North Carolina Campus Police Program, or the North Carolina Sheriffs' Education and Training Standards Commission shall not be eligible for professional awards for the pendency of the proceeding.

(2)           The officer shall hold general certification with the Commission in one of the following categories:

(A)          correctional officer; or

(B)          probation/parole officer.

(3)           The officer shall be a permanent, full-time, paid employee of the Department of Public Safety, Division of Adult Correction and Juvenile Justice.

(4)           Permanent, paid employees of the Department of Public Safety, Division of Adult Correction and Juvenile Justice who have completed a Commission-certified corrections officer basic training program and have previously held general certification as specified in 12 NCAC 09G .0602(a)(1) and 12 NCAC 09G .0602(a)(2), but are presently, by virtue of promotion or transfer, serving in positions not subject to certification are eligible to participate in the professional certificate program. Eligibility for this exception requires employment with the Department of Public Safety, Division of Adult Correction and Juvenile Justice from the date of promotion or transfer from a certified position to the date of application for a professional certificate.

(b)  Awards are based upon a formula that combines formal education, corrections training, and actual experience as a corrections officer. Points are computed in the following manner:

(1)           each semester hour of college credit shall equal one point and each quarter hour shall equal two-thirds of a point;

(2)           20 classroom hours of Commission-approved corrections training shall equal one point; and

(3)           only experience as a permanent, paid employee of the Department of Public Safety, Division of Adult Correction and Juvenile Justice or the equivalent experience as determined by the Commission shall be acceptable of consideration.

Point requirements for each award are described in 12 NCAC 09G .0604 and .0605.

(c)  Certificates shall be awarded in an officer's area of expertise only. The State Corrections Certificate is appropriate for permanent, paid corrections employees employed by the Department of Public Safety, Division of Adult Correction and Juvenile Justice.

History Note:        Authority G.S. 17C-6;

Temporary Adoption Eff. January 1, 2001;

Eff. August 1, 2002;

Amended Eff. January 1, 2015; June 1, 2012; August 1, 2004;

Pursuant to G.S. 150B-21.3A, rule is necessary without substantive public interest Eff. May 25, 2019.