State Corrections

To become a Local Corrections Officer, each new candidate is required to meet all of the minimum standards established and adopted by the Michigan Sheriffs’ Coordinating and Training Council (MSCTC) under the authority of Section 8 of Public Act 125 of 2003. The Sheriff’s Office has the responsibility to screen candidates to ensure compliance with all minimum standards.

Please Note: County Sheriff’s Offices have the discretion to establish standards that exceed the MSCTC minimum standards as long as the agency can justify the higher standard in relation to the position.

The applicant must meet the following required minimum standards.

• Not less than 18 years old, no maximum age
• Must be a United States Citizen
• Possess high school diploma or equivalency
• Possess a valid driver’s license
• Complete an oral interview to determine acceptability for a corrections officer position
• No prior felony convictions
• Possess good moral character as determined by a favorable comprehensive background investigation covering school and employment records, home environment, personal traits, and integrity
  • Consideration will be given to all criminal and civil law violations as indicating a lack of good character.
• Provide fingerprints for a search of state and federal fingerprint files to disclose any criminal record
• Complete drug testing for the use of illegal controlled substances
  • The testing will be completed after a conditional offer of employment (ADA Requirement)
• Candidate is required to demonstrate his or her mental fitness by successfully completing both of the following requirements:
  • Prior to employment, complete the MSCTC written examination, which tests the candidate's mental fitness in the areas of reading comprehension, writing skills, and situational reasoning.
    • Written exam results are valid for three years from successful completion of the test.
  • After a conditional offer of employment, an evaluation by a licensed health care professional must be completed, which demonstrates that the applicant is free from mental or emotional instabilities which may impair the performance of the essential job functions of a local corrections officer.
• Local Corrections Officer Physical Ability Test (LCOPAT)
  • Beginning March 1, 2014, each local corrections officer applicant is required to demonstrate their physical ability by successfully completing the Michigan Sheriffs’ Coordinating and Training Council (MSCTC) Local Corrections Officer Physical Ability Test (LCOPAT) before being hired as a local corrections officer.
    • No other physical fitness/physical ability test will meet the requirements. The LCOPAT is designed to simulate the physical aspects of the local corrections officer profession and is made up of different components that address a specific physical ability or job task.
    • Prior to completing the LCOPAT applicants must provide a Health Screening Form, review the LCOPAT Guide, and pay the test fee.
      • LCOPAT test sites approved by the MSCTC have the authority to establish a fee for administering the LCOPAT at their facility. However, the fee shall not exceed a cost of $50.00 per student/per test.
    • It is the applicant's responsibility to provide proof of successful completion of the LCOPAT to a potential employer. The test results of the LCOPAT are valid for one year from successful completion of the test.

To become a State Corrections Officer, each new candidate is required to meet all of the minimum standards established and adopted by the Michigan Department of Corrections.

The applicant must meet the following required minimum standards.

• Not less than 18 years old
• Possess high school diploma or equivalency
• The Department of Corrections may screen out job applicants who have been convicted of a felony in accordance with Public Act 191 of 2017.
  • Applicants who have been convicted of a misdemeanor or felony are ineligible for employment with the Department of Corrections until satisfactory completion of any sentence imposed, including parole or probation.

Applicants must agree to obtain the minimum college credits (listed below) within 18 months after hire OR currently possess:

• An educational background that includes at least 15 semester (or 23 term) college credit hours in Corrections, Criminal Justice, Psychology, Sociology, Family Relations, Guidance and Counseling, Pastoral Counseling, Social Work or Law Enforcement or;
• 30 semester (or 45 term) college credits in any academic or degree prerequisite area meets the educational requirement or;
• Any bachelor’s degree or;
• Two years of satisfactory Corrections Officer employment at the State or federal prison level, or private prison housing state/federal prisoners.

MILITARY VETERANS

• Training/Education documented on your joint services transcript may satisfy these educational requirements. Completion of basic training and two years of military service, along with 15 semester/ 23 term college credits leading toward a degree in any major obtained through an accredited college or Joint Services Transcript (JST).
• If the service member is no longer serving, they must present proof of being honorably discharged. Military personnel can receive college credit for their military training by obtaining a Joint Service Transcript.