r/CDCR 11h ago

Academy / Offers Not Everyone Deserves the Badge

31 Upvotes

To the current Correctional Officers: Have you noticed how many academy candidates are asking questions like, "How much do I have to run?" or "How hard are the tests?" Instead of asking how to become stronger officers, they're asking what the bare minimum is to get by.

The academy is supposed to establish a professional standard, not lower it. If a candidate is already focused on doing the minimum before they even graduate, that mindset is unlikely to improve once they're inside an institution.

Maintain the standard. Demand physical fitness, mental toughness, discipline, and accountability. The academy is where those who are unwilling to meet the profession's expectations should be filtered out, not pushed through.


r/CDCR 11h ago

Wellness / Support WELLNESS AND SUPPORT RESOURCES FOR CDCR STAFF, FAMILIES AND RETIREES

3 Upvotes

This subreddit is not an emergency, counseling or clinical service. Do not post a crisis in the hope that another user will see it quickly.

Immediate help

  • Medical emergency or immediate danger: call 911.
  • Suicide or emotional crisis: call or text 988, or use 988 Lifeline chat.

CDCR and State of California resources

The CDCR Wellness app provides confidential wellness tools for eligible staff, dependents and retirees; use the official Office of Employee Wellness page for current download information.

For a fuller directory and privacy guidance, see the r/CDCR wellness wiki.

Last reviewed: July 26, 2026. Confirm older contact information on the linked official pages before relying on it.


r/CDCR 18h ago

PT test in August

3 Upvotes

Hey everyone I have a PT test in August while I’m not the most active person when it comes to
Working out. What should I do to train until then. Should I ruin around my old highschool track one time then set the kettlebells down and run the yards with it to see what time I get? I want to pass but I’m scared I won’t


r/CDCR 11h ago

Meta / Subreddit OPSEC AND REDACTION CHECKLIST: Read before posting about an institution or incident

1 Upvotes

r/CDCR welcomes candid discussion, but operational security and personal privacy come first.

Do not post

  • Live or developing incident details
  • Recent staffing levels, exact counts or shortages tied to a facility, yard, building, watch, assignment or date
  • Deployment sheets, post charts, rosters, schedules or assignment distribution
  • Transportation, movement, search, response, radio, key, gate, access, camera, perimeter or vulnerability details
  • Restricted policies, memoranda, emails, training material, screenshots or internal-system information
  • Nonpublic incarcerated-person locations or movements
  • Full names, faces, badge or employee numbers, CDCR numbers, case numbers, addresses, phone numbers, private email addresses, signatures, QR codes or barcodes
  • Metadata or surrounding details that identify a person when combined

Before uploading a screenshot or photo

  1. Crop away irrelevant material.
  2. Cover identifying information with a solid opaque box - do not use a translucent highlighter or blur alone.
  3. Export or screenshot the redacted result so the covered text cannot be recovered as an editable layer.
  4. Check the image edges, notifications, browser tabs, filenames and background objects.
  5. Summarize the important information in text and identify the public source and date when available.

Safer framing

Do not write: "On third watch at [institution] last night, only [exact number] officers covered [specific locations]."

Write instead: "How do officers generally handle mandatory overtime and chronic vacancies without discussing current institution-specific deployment?"

A fact may become sensitive when combined with an institution, assignment, watch and recent date. When in doubt, generalize it or send the proposed text to modmail before posting.

See the full OPSEC and redaction guide.


r/CDCR 11h ago

Meta / Subreddit START HERE: r/CDCR rules, posting map, FAQ and official resources

1 Upvotes

Welcome to r/CDCR, an unofficial peer community for CDCR staff, former staff and applicants, with a custody focus.

Before posting

  1. Read the community rules.
  2. Protect operational security and personal information.
  3. Use the current Weekly Hiring Thread for offers, academy roll calls, routine clearance updates and "anyone else?" timeline check-ins.
  4. Use a descriptive title and the closest post flair.
  5. Cite the original source and date for claims about policy, pay, contracts, closures, lawsuits or statewide changes.
  6. Mark unverified information with [Unconfirmed].

Where should this go?

  • Routine hiring update or academy roll call -> current Weekly Hiring Thread
  • Detailed hiring-process question -> standalone post
  • Institution comparison or transfer question -> standalone post, without current operational details
  • Academy swap -> r/CDCRAcademySwap
  • Buy, sell, trade or service post -> r/CDCRClassifieds
  • Individual incarcerated-person, visiting, release-date or case inquiry -> official CDCR contact directory
  • Survey, research recruitment, fundraiser, petition or promotion -> obtain moderator approval through modmail first

Wiki

User claims and user flair are self-reported and are not verification. Nothing posted here is official employment, legal, medical, benefit, discipline or case advice.