George W. Hill Correctional Facility Training Academy Graduates 16 New Correctional Officers

Released: May 6, 2022

A graduation ceremony was held for the first class of cadets enrolled at the George W. Hill Correctional Facility Training Academy since the facility was de-privatized on April 6 and placed under full operational management control by the County of Delaware.

16 cadets from Delaware County and the surrounding region successfully completed the six-week Pennsylvania Department of Corrections-certified training curriculum and earned the title of Correctional Officer. All graduates are employed fulltime by the George W. Hill Correctional Facility.

The co-ed class spent weeks in the Training Academy classroom and immersed in on-the-job training, gaining the skills and knowledge necessary to implement the County’s institutional policies.

Each new Correctional Officer will proudly represent the County’s values and will strengthen the George W. Hill Correctional Facility. They are joining an elite group of law enforcement that maintains the care, custody, and control of those in the County’s jail. They are trained to care for inmates objectively and maintain professionalism and humanity toward those in their care.

Since the de-privatization of the County jail, the Training Academy has undergone restructuring and the curriculum has been updated under the leadership of Richard Leach Jr., a twenty-year veteran of the facility and new Major of Training Operations.

New classes of cadets will attend the George W. Hill Correctional Facility Training Academy each month until all vacancies are filled, with new classes scheduled to begin training on May 9, June 6, and July 5. Individuals interesting in attending the Academy and becoming a Correctional Officer can apply on the Delaware County website at delcopa.gov/jobs.

The County is also holding a Spring 2022 Job Fair in Chester on Saturday, May 14 and Sunday, May 15, where representatives of the George W. Hill Correctional Facility will be on hand to discuss employment opportunities.

ABOUT GEORGE W. HILL CORRECTIONAL FACILITY

Delaware County assumed full operational control of the George W. Hill Correctional Facility from The GEO Group, a national for-profit operator of prisons on April 6, 2022. The transition is the result of more than two years of planning and preparation and represents an end to Delaware County’s status as Pennsylvania’s only county to have a for-profit prison.

The George W. Hill Correctional Facility is responsible for the incarceration of pre-trial detainees and persons serving a county sentence of two years less one day or a state sentence of five years less one day. Most offenders receive their first exposure to prison at the county level.

The mission of George W. Hill Correctional Facility is to provide a safe, secure, and humane environment for our well trained and experienced professionals, visitors, community members, and those incarcerated persons who are entrusted to our custody and care. The population of employees and incarcerated persons come from a variety of backgrounds, cultures, beliefs, and experiences. This diversity guides our principles to ensure fair and equitable treatment. We provide innovative programs services and programs to the incarcerated population which is comprised of pre-trial, sentenced adult male and female offenders, as well as male and female youthful offenders who are remanded to this facility by Delaware County Law Enforcement officials consistent with court commitment documents and Pennsylvania Title 37. George W. Hill Correctional Facility strives to be a productive member as one of the intercepts in the criminal justice system and a good neighbor.