Benefits of Certification

What advantages does Certification offer?
The Corrections Certification Program is designed to advance the overall knowledge level of practitioners in the corrections field, promote the capabilities of corrections professionals to the public, and enhance society’s image of corrections personnel, thereby aiding in the recruitment of new, talented staff members.


How would becoming a Certified Corrections Professional (CCP) better my staff, my institution, and/or my agency?
Becoming a Certified Corrections Professional (CCP) enables staff at all levels to become part of a nation-wide network of resources, ideas, opinions, skills, and people that can enhance the productivity, efficiency, and effectiveness of one’s agency. Certification allows for the advancement of the overall knowledge level of practitioners, accesses their awareness of the most current, innovative, and effective approaches in the corrections field, and promotes the capabilities of corrections professionals to the public by demonstrating their adherence to the ACA Code of Ethics. 

What Types and Levels of Certification are Available?

Adult Corrections

There are four certification categories
for Adult Corrections.

  • Certified Corrections Officers (CCO): This category includes individuals who work directly with offenders
  • Certified Corrections Supervisor (CCS): This category includes individuals at the “mid-management” level who work with both staff and offenders in a corrections setting. It includes those responsible for implementing agency policies and procedures and supervising/evaluating personnel.
  • Certified Corrections Manager (CCM): This category includes individuals who manage major units or programs within a corrections setting. They are management staff who may contribute to the development of policy and procedures, are responsible for their implementation, and have authority over supervisory personnel.
  • Certified Corrections Executive (CCE): This category includes individuals at the highest executive level who oversee the development of policy and procedures in agencies dealing with adult offenders.

Juvenile Justice Professionals

There are four certification categories
for Juvenile Justice.

  • Certified Corrections Officers/Juvenile (CCO/JUV): This category includes individuals who work directly with juvenile offenders
  • Certified Corrections Supervisor/Juvenile (CCS/JUV): This category includes individuals at the “mid-management” level who work with both staff and offenders in a juvenile justice setting. It includes those responsible for implementing agency policies and procedures and supervising/evaluating personnel.
  • Certified Corrections Manager/Juvenile (CCM/JUV): This category includes individuals who manage major units or programs within a juvenile justice setting. They are management staff who may contribute to the development of policy and procedures, are responsible for their implementation, and have authority over supervisory personnel.
  • Certified Corrections Executive/Juvenile (CCE/JUV): This category includes individuals at the highest executive level who oversee the development of policy and procedures in agencies dealing with juvenile offenders.

Security Threat Groups (STG)

There are two certification categories
for Security Threat Groups.

  • Certified Corrections Supervisor/Security Threat Group (CCS/STG): This category includes individuals at the "mid-management" level who work with both staff and offenders in a correctional setting and focus on supervising and monitoring security threat groups and gangs. It includes those responsible for implementing agency policies and procedures and supervising/evaluating personnel
  • Certified Corrections Manager/Security Threat Group (CCM/STG): This category includes individuals who manage major units or programs within a corrections setting and who focus on security threat groups and gangs. They are management staff who may contribute to the development of policy and procedures, are responsible for their implementation, and have authority over supervisory personnel.

Health Care

There are four certification categories
for Health Care.

  • Certified Corrections Nurse (CCN): This category includes staff nurses, who work in a correctional environment and who work with both staff and offenders. It includes those responsible for implementing agency policies and procedures.
  • Certified Corrections Nurse/Manager (CCN/M): This category includes individuals who work as nurse managers in a correctional environment. They are management staff who may contribute to the development of policy and procedures, are responsible for their implementation, and have authority over staff members.
  • Certified Health Service Administrator (CHSA): This category is for Health Service Administrators. They are management staff who contribute to the development of policy and procedures, are responsible for their implementation, and have authority over staff members. They plan, direct, coordinate and supervise the health care system.
  • Correctional Behavioral Health Certification (CBHC): This category includes Correctional Officers, Community Corrections Officers and Allied Behavioral Health Staff, who, because of their education, credentials and experience, are associated with the provision of behavioral health services for mentally ill offenders. A minimum of 40 hours of behavioral- and mental health-related training is required for the examination. 

Provisional Certification

There is one certification category
for Provisional Certification

  • Certified Corrections Officer/Provisional (CCO/P): This category includes graduating students who have studied for a career in a correctional setting and/or Department of Corrections Training Academy graduating cadets. Individuals in this category will work directly with offenders. For certification status to become permanent, those who pass the CCO/P exam must secure a full-time position in a corrections-related agency (within two-years from their exam date) and receive a satisfactory performance rating from their immediate supervisor after one-year on-the-job.