Akins High School Offers Unique Hands-On Training

SOUTH AUSTIN, TX -- For anyone, the idea of going to jail is a scary proposition. But for students from Akins High School students, it’s no big thing--in fact, they do it once a week.

It’s all part of their early training as they pursue careers as correctional officers. The high school offers the hands-on training as part of their curriculum, giving them a real glimpse into the world of real-life corrections officers.

A group of such students were recently featured on KUT-FM, the Austin NPR affiliate. Students outfitted in tactical training pants, boots that lace up to the shin and a black jacket that reads CSI--Correctional Service Intern--make the weekly trips to the Travis County Correctional Facility in Del Valle as part of their training.

Lauren Ochoa, 18, is among the group of students undergoing the unique experience. She told KUT she was scared at first but quickly acclimated to the weekly trek to jail where she and her fellow students learn the gamut of working with inmates--serving food, monitoring inmates when they are granted time outside their cells and preventing fights.

“So when I first started, I was scared,” she acknowledged. “I was terrified. I was lik, ‘oh my God, they’re going to yell at me; they’re going to talk to me; they’re going to say dirty things.”

Now, she looks forward to the weekly visits. At the end of the school year, she’ll receive a certification allowing her to work as a security coordinator with the Travis County Sheriff’s Office--just a step below a full-fledged correctional officer.

Already, Ochoa has grasped the concept of guard-prisoner boundaries--especially when training at the maximum security area of the detention facility.

“In maximum, I try not to look at them because if I do, they start acting out,” she said. “If they say hi to me, I’ll say hi back; I’m not going to be rude. They’re people too.”

Robyn Katz, who runs the criminal justice program at the high school, explained part of the appeal of a job in the corrections industry for her students.

“It’s county employment, so the benefits are phenomenal,” she said. “Pension for a correctional officers is incredible also.”

Two of her students already are parents, and the career’s good salaries and benefits are especially appealing as they consider their family’s future, Katz said.

I have two students in this internship who have children, and they’re looking to be able to have a career where they’re able to support their family,” she said. “And this would be a great career for that.

Listen to KUT’s full report here: