Recruits will attend a 10-week Detention Officer Certification Course (DOCC) or “Jail School” in a paramilitary environment. During DOCC, recruits will go through a series of events including physical training, team building exercises, standardized testing and other experiences to assist with becoming acclimated to working in a detention center-like atmosphere. During Detention Center School, recruits will perform rigorous training that will challenge their physical and mental abilities. The staff at the Training Academy is very helpful and supportive of the new recruits, understanding how the adjustment from civilian life to a detention/law enforcement career can be demanding and stressful.

During the ten weeks of training, recruits will examine different subjects that will require studying, hard work, effort, ethics, and integrity. These courses will prepare each recruit for the North Carolina Sheriff's Standards state exam.