By AP/KWMU
Jefferson City, MO – Missouri's prison guards and jailers, also known as corrections officers, hope a new state law will lend more prestige, and eventually more pay.
The law will set up a professional certification system similar to what already exists for police officers.
The new system came after three years' worth of lobbying by the Missouri Corrections Officers Association, a group of 2,600 state prison employees.
The certification program went into effect last week. A nine-member panel, called the Corrections Officer Certification Commission, will be created to analyze and determine just what criteria (job qualifications, training and testing requirements, etc.) will need to be met to be a certified corrections officer.