Corrections Deputy Sandro Markovic of the Whatcom County Sheriff's Office graduated from the Washington State Criminal Justice Training Commission Corrections Officer Academy, Class 508, completing 400 hours of comprehensive training before having his badge pinned by his brother, Washington State Trooper Stefan Markovic.
A Family Milestone
The badge pinning ceremony is one of the more personal traditions in law enforcement graduations. For Sandro Markovic, having his brother Stefan, a Washington State Patrol trooper, pin his badge gave the moment added significance. The two brothers now serve Washington state in separate but related public safety roles: one on the road as a trooper, the other inside a county detention facility as a corrections deputy.
Deputy Markovic is among the newest members of the Whatcom County Sheriff's Office, which operates the Whatcom County Jail and is responsible for holding individuals awaiting trial or serving sentences for county-level offenses. Corrections deputies manage the daily operations of the jail, including booking, housing, programming oversight, and maintaining safety for both staff and incarcerated individuals.
What the Corrections Officer Academy Requires
The Washington State Criminal Justice Training Commission Corrections Officer Academy is a 400-hour residential program that prepares recruits for the distinct demands of working in Washington's county jails and state correctional facilities. The curriculum covers a wide range of topics, including communication strategies, booking and intake procedures, use of force principles, legal standards for detention, de-escalation techniques, emotional survival, peer support, and trauma-informed approaches to working with incarcerated populations.
The academy is a mandatory requirement for new corrections officers in Washington State and cannot be waived. Recruits typically attend the program at the WSCJTC campus in Burien before returning to their home agency to begin supervised work in the facility. The training reflects the growing recognition that corrections work requires a sophisticated skill set that extends well beyond physical security, including mental health awareness and crisis intervention.
Class 508 is among the most recent graduating cohort from the academy. The WSCJTC runs multiple corrections academy sessions each year to address staffing needs across Washington's jail and prison system, which has experienced significant workforce pressure in recent years as vacancy rates at many facilities have strained operations.
Staffing and the Road Ahead for Whatcom County Corrections
The Whatcom County Jail has faced ongoing capacity and staffing challenges that are part of a broader statewide trend. County officials have spent years working through plans for a new jail facility, which is now tied to a proposed site on Hannegan Road in Bellingham following the county's selection of that location earlier this year. A well-staffed and trained corrections workforce is essential to the operation of any jail facility, making each new academy graduate a meaningful addition to the team.
Deputy Markovic joins a corrections staff that must manage a complex and high-stakes environment daily. Corrections officers interact with individuals who may be experiencing mental health crises, substance withdrawal, or the acute stress of facing criminal charges. The communication and de-escalation skills taught at the academy are applied every shift.
For background on the county's broader jail planning and the facility that Deputy Markovic will be helping to staff, coverage of the Hannegan Road jail site selection provides full context on the project. The Sheriff's Office congratulated Deputy Markovic and the full Class 508 on completing their training and welcomed them to careers in corrections. More information about the Washington State Criminal Justice Training Commission and its programs is available through the commission's website.
