All Low Liability Vocabulary

Correctional officer

A person whose main responsibility is the supervision, protection, care, custody, control, or investigation of inmates inside a correctional institution.

Professionalism

The competence, behavior, and qualities expected from a correctional officer.

Leader

A correctional officer role where the officer models proper behavior, acts ethically, stays consistent, and encourages others to do the right thing.

Enforcer

A correctional officer role where the officer makes sure inmates follow rules, commands, and policies.

Progressive disciplinary process

A step-by-step process used to correct inmate rule violations.

Stabilizer

A correctional officer role where the officer stays calm, controls tense situations, and helps prevent escalation.

Critical incident

A serious event that can threaten safety, security, or order in the facility.

De-escalation

Reducing the intensity of a tense situation.

Emotional intelligence

The ability to recognize and manage your own emotions while also recognizing and responding properly to the emotions of others.

Florida Administrative Code — F.A.C.

The body of rules that governs Florida public regulatory agencies.

Florida Model Jail Standards — FMJS

Minimum standards that all local jails in Florida must follow.

Criminal Justice Standards and Training Commission — CJSTC

The commission that oversees certification, employment, training, officer records, and conduct of Florida criminal justice officers.

Commission

Another name used for the Criminal Justice Standards and Training Commission.

Florida Department of Law Enforcement — FDLE

The Florida agency that supports the CJSTC through the Criminal Justice Professionalism Division.

Criminal Justice Professionalism Division

The FDLE division that supports and assists the CJSTC.

Basic recruit training program

The CJSTC-approved training program required before becoming a certified officer.

High Liability courses

Required training areas where recruits must demonstrate proficiency.

Physical Fitness Program

The required fitness portion of basic recruit training.

Exit evaluation

The final physical fitness evaluation required in basic recruit training.

State Officer Certification Examination — SOCE

The exam a recruit must pass to become certified as an officer in Florida.

Certification

Official approval that a person meets the requirements to work as a certified officer.

Certified officer

An officer who has completed all required steps for certification and is actively employed in a sworn position.

Sworn officer

An officer who has met certification requirements and is employed with official authority.

Four-year certification deadline

The rule that a recruit has four years from the start date of basic recruit training to complete the full certification process.

Background investigation

A review conducted by a hiring agency to determine a person’s moral character and suitability for employment.

Good moral character

The required ethical standard that officers and recruits must maintain.

Deny certification

To refuse to grant officer certification.

Nolo contendere

A plea where a person does not admit or deny responsibility but accepts punishment.

Felony

A serious criminal offense that can affect certification and may require revocation if an officer is found guilty or pleads guilty or nolo contendere.

Misdemeanor

A less serious criminal offense than a felony, but certain misdemeanors can still affect officer certification.

Perjury

Lying under oath.

False statement

An untrue statement, especially one made in an official or employment process.

Withholding of adjudication

A court action where guilt may not be formally entered, but the offense can still affect officer certification.

Suspension of sentence

A court action where a sentence is delayed or not imposed, but the offense can still affect certification.

Principal

A person directly involved in committing a crime.

Accessory

A person who helps another person commit a crime.

Solicitation

Asking, encouraging, or trying to get another person to commit a crime.

Conspiracy

An agreement between people to commit a crime.

Controlled substance

A drug regulated by law.

Excessive use of force

Using more force than is legally or reasonably necessary.

Misuse of official position

Using official authority or resources to gain a special benefit for yourself or others.

Unprofessional relationship

An improper relationship between an officer and an inmate, detainee, probationer, parolee, or community controlee.

Detainee

A person held in custody, often before trial or final case disposition.

Probationer

A person placed under supervision in the community by court order.

Parolee

A person conditionally released from a correctional institution before completing their sentence.

Community controlee

A person placed under community control, also known as house arrest.

Sexual misconduct

Prohibited sexual behavior, including sexual behavior while on duty or improper sexual behavior involving inmates.

Subvert the SOCE process

To cheat, interfere with, or improperly affect the State Officer Certification Examination process.

Penalty guidelines

Guidelines used by the CJSTC to decide discipline for officer misconduct.

Written reprimand

A formal written disciplinary warning.

Probation

A CJSTC penalty of up to two years, with or without mandatory retraining or counseling.

Mandatory retraining

Required training ordered as part of discipline.

Suspension

A CJSTC penalty that temporarily removes certification authority for up to two years.

Revocation of certification

Permanent removal of officer certification, meaning the officer can no longer work as a certified officer in Florida.

Criminal justice system

The system that maintains and enforces criminal laws and manages crime and criminal offenders.

Law enforcement

The part of the criminal justice system that enforces laws, maintains civil order, and protects constitutional rights.

Court system

The part of the criminal justice system that interprets laws and sets sentencing guidelines.

Corrections

The part of the criminal justice system that enforces sentencing guidelines and provides rehabilitation services.

Sentencing guidelines

Rules or standards used by courts to decide punishment.

Rehabilitation services

Services intended to help offenders return successfully to society.

Ordinance

A written law passed by a city or county government.

Jurisdiction

The power of a court to decide a case or the authority over a geographic area.

Court of general jurisdiction

A court that hears many types of civil or criminal cases.

Court of limited jurisdiction

A court that hears only limited types of cases.

U.S. Supreme Court

The highest court of appeals in the United States.

Court of last resort

A court that makes the final decision when no higher court is available.

Constitutional precedent

A rule created by a court decision that lower courts must follow in similar constitutional matters.

Virtual court appearance

A court appearance done by video or electronic means from inside a facility.

Offsite transport

Moving an inmate outside the facility, such as to court.

Testimony

Statements given as a witness in a legal proceeding.

Prison

A federal or state correctional institution that confines people convicted of felonies with sentences longer than one year.

County jail

A facility used for intake, pretrial detention, short-term sentences, and sometimes housing inmates returned from prison for court.

Intake processing

The process of receiving and documenting a person entering a jail or facility.

Defendant

A person accused of a crime in court.

Disposition

The final decision or outcome of a case.

County holding facility

A place where detainees stay until booking is complete or transport to jail occurs.

Municipal holding facility

A city facility used to hold detainees temporarily.

Booking

The process of officially recording a person into custody.

Treatment and evaluation center

A facility designed to meet special needs, such as substance abuse, mental illness, or testing needs.

Juvenile assessment center

A place where juvenile suspects are taken for processing.

Juvenile detention center

A place where juveniles may be held before trial or case disposition.

Pretrial detention

Holding a person in custody before trial.

Community-based correctional system

Correctional supervision that happens in the community instead of inside a jail or prison.

Probation

A court-ordered sentence where a person is supervised in the community under specific conditions.

Parole

Conditional release from a correctional institution before the sentence ends.

Community control

Closely monitored community supervision that is more restrictive than probation or parole.

House arrest

Another name for community control.

Florida Department of Corrections — FDC

The department responsible for administering state prisons and state probation in Florida.

Office of Institutions

The FDC division that manages facilities where inmates live.

Office of Community Corrections

The FDC division that supervises programs such as probation and community control.

Organizational structure

The system that shows how authority and responsibility are arranged in an organization.

Subordinate

A person who reports to someone with higher authority.

Superior

A person with authority over others in the chain of command.

Chain of command

The order of authority within an organization.

Rank

A person’s level of authority in the facility structure.

Command level

Higher-ranking positions such as lieutenant, captain, or above.

Vertical communication

Communication that moves up or down the chain of command.

Lateral communication

Communication between people at the same level in the organization.

Shift change

The time when one group of staff leaves duty and another group takes over.

Immediate supervisor

The supervisor directly above an officer.