Another round of Choice Officers has joined the program! Back in March, twenty-one selected Suffolk County House of Correction and Jail officers completed a comprehensive three-day training at the Suffolk County Sheriff’s Department Correction Officer Training Center, earning their certification as the newest class of Choice Program Officers. These Choice-ready officers are set to begin Suffolk County public school visitations, bringing with them age-specific lessons on public safety, personal responsibility, digital literacy, emergency planning, and the like — topics increasingly critical to the well-being of today’s youth.

Conducted at our Chelsea Training Facility, the three-day robust Choice Program training curriculum addressed themes of bullying, peer pressure, substance use, Criminal Offender Record Information (C.O.R.I.) consequences, sexting, signs of sexual harassment and grooming, internet safety, gun violence, active shooter emergency protocol, and more. Such lessons were enhanced by the dynamic presentations from seasoned guest speakers, who included in-depth instruction on public speaking delivery, youth engagement techniques, and strategies for inspiring meaningful dialogue.