The ACJ Welcomes 13 New Cadets at Graduation
Published on February 24, 2026
Friends, family members, staff and invited guests gathered in the Allegheny County Jail’s Contact Visits Room on Feb. 20 to recognize the accomplishments of 13 individuals who successfully completed cadet training and are now correctional officers at the Allegheny County Jail.
“This is a career, not a job,” Sgt. Randy Justice said during the graduation ceremony. “A job is something you do every day – a career is something you invest your life in.”
As the graduates prepared for their upcoming first day on the job, County Manager John Fournier also addressed the class.
The new officers will soon be meeting people on the “worst day of their lives,” Fournier said. The goal of the ACJ is to have all who enter the facility leave better than they were when they arrived, he added.
“I’m proud of you,” Fournier told the class, thanking the members in advance for performing a service aimed at keeping all residents – those in the community and those incarcerated – safe.
On their first day, Warden Trevor Wingard said, the officers will have authority – he stressed that he did not use the word “power” – over approximately 1,700 incarcerated individuals. To handle that responsibility, the warden urged them to ask questions of those who have experience doing the job the right way.
By learning to properly use that authority, the new officers will have the opportunity to positively change lives, Wingard said.
“We made it,” exclaimed graduate Nathan Crapis, who is following in the footsteps of his father, Mike, who retired from the AJC in 2020.
As the ceremony ended and Crapis prepared to hand Justice the class plaque, Crapis told his fellow classmates to remember to “always wear the uniform with pride” and to “respect the title” of professional correctional officer.
To join the team at the Allegheny County Jail, you can apply here.
Media inquiries may be directed to Jesse Geleynse, Public Information Officer for the Allegheny County Jail
jesse.geleynse@alleghenycounty.us or by phone at 412-350-1267 or 412-760-4760 (cell).