Criminal Justice Corrections (Firearms)

Course Description

CJK0570 — Criminal Justice Corrections (Firearms) is a Postsecondary Adult Vocational (PSAV) clock-hour course within Florida's Correctional Officer Basic Recruit Training Program. The course covers the firearms training required of correctional officers who carry firearms in transport and tactical roles: firearms safety, marksmanship fundamentals, qualification standards, weapon care and maintenance, and the legal framework for firearms use in correctional settings.

Note: While most correctional officers do not carry firearms during routine inmate-contact duty inside facilities, transport officers, perimeter security officers, and Special Response Team (SRT) members do. CJK0570 ensures all correctional officer recruits receive baseline firearms training even if their primary post does not involve carrying.

This course is offered at FDLE-approved Criminal Justice Training Centers across Florida. As with other CJK-prefix courses, it is a component of the full Correctional Officer Basic Recruit Training Program (approximately 420 hours); individual course completion alone does not qualify a graduate for Correctional Officer certification. The curriculum is governed by the Florida Department of Law Enforcement (FDLE) Criminal Justice Standards and Training Commission (CJSTC).

Learning Outcomes

Required Outcomes

Upon successful completion of CJK0570, students will demonstrate competency in CJSTC-mandated firearms areas:

• Apply the four universal safety rules consistently: treat all firearms as loaded; never point at anything not willing to destroy; keep finger off trigger until ready to fire; be aware of target and what is beyond.
• Demonstrate marksmanship fundamentals: stance; grip; sight alignment and sight picture; trigger control; breath control; follow-through.
• Pass the CJSTC firearms qualification course at the required minimum score.
• Apply weapon manipulation: loading; unloading; clearing malfunctions; reloading (combat, tactical, administrative); transitions between weapons.
• Apply shotgun and patrol rifle familiarization per CJSTC standards (some assignments require additional weapons; basic familiarization is standard).
• Apply weapon care and maintenance: cleaning; inspection; basic operator-level maintenance; storage; ammunition handling.
• Apply legal framework for firearms use: Florida deadly force law; agency-specific policies; transport-officer firearm policies; Florida Statutes Sections 776, 790.
• Apply range safety: range commands; cease-fire procedures; medical emergency response on the range.

Major Topics

Required Topics

• Firearms Safety: Four universal safety rules; safe handling at all times; range safety protocols; cease-fire procedures.
• Handgun Marksmanship: Stance (isosceles, Weaver, modified); grip; sight alignment; sight picture; trigger control; breath control; follow-through; recoil management.
• Weapon Manipulation: Administrative loading and unloading; tactical reload; combat reload; clearing common malfunctions (failure to fire, failure to feed, failure to extract, double feed).
• Shotgun and Patrol Rifle Familiarization: Basic operation; safe handling; introduction to specialized assignments.
• Maintenance and Care: Field stripping for cleaning; inspection; lubrication; storage; ammunition rotation and handling.
• Legal Framework: Florida deadly force law (Section 776); use-of-force decision-making; agency policy; transport-officer policies; firearm storage in vehicles.
• CJSTC Qualification: Course of fire requirements; minimum qualifying scores; recurrent qualification standards.

Resources & Tools

• FDLE/CJSTC Firearms Curriculum and qualification standards (current version)
• Florida Statutes Sections 776 (Justifiable Use of Force), 790 (Weapons and Firearms)
• NRA Law Enforcement training materials
• Issued duty firearms (typically Glock, Sig Sauer, Smith & Wesson, or department-specific service pistol); shotguns; patrol rifles for advanced assignments
• Range facility (indoor or outdoor); CJSTC-certified instructors

Career Pathways

Successful completion supports certification as a Florida Correctional Officer with assignments potentially including transport, perimeter security, or special response team duties. Continued specialization in firearms instruction, SRT, or law enforcement transition career paths is supported.

Special Information

FDLE/CJSTC Certification Required

This course is one component of the full Florida Correctional Officer Basic Recruit Training Program. Successful completion of the full program, passage of the State Officer Certification Examination (SOCE), background investigation, and CJSTC certification per Section 943.13, Florida Statutes, are required for employment as a Florida Correctional Officer.

Wellness and Support Resources

Correctional officer work involves substantial physical and psychological demands. Florida Department of Corrections and most county sheriff's offices provide employee assistance programs (EAP), peer support teams, and mental health resources for officers. The Correctional Peace Officers Foundation provides additional national resources. Career-long attention to wellness is strongly encouraged.

Range Time Requirements

CJK0570 includes substantial supervised range time. Students must demonstrate qualification before completing the course.

Recurrent Qualification

Florida Correctional Officers carrying firearms must qualify at least annually per CJSTC and agency-specific standards. Recurrent training and qualification is required for continued firearms-carrying authorization.

Disqualifying Factors

Federal law (Lautenberg Amendment to the Gun Control Act, 18 U.S.C. § 922(g)) prohibits any person convicted of a misdemeanor crime of domestic violence from possessing firearms, including correctional officers. Other disqualifying factors apply per Florida and federal law.

Program Structure (PSAV / Clock-Hour)

CJK0570 clock-hour allocation typically ranges from 60 to 100 clock hours within the broader Basic Recruit Training Program.