The California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation (CDCR) is looking to hire 7,000 people in the next couple of years.
Lt. Chad Hester told KCRA-TV that qualified applicants are needed because of inmate overcrowding and 1,800 corrections officers retiring a year at the 34 prisons. Hester said the physical agility test disqualifies candidates as do the written test and background checks.
Only 2 to 5 percent of applicants actually become officers, Hester said.
Recruits have to run about a half-mile while carrying 45 pounds of weight in both hands in less than five minutes and five seconds. They must be honest when filling out their application, as lying is a sure way to be disqualified.
In an interview Oct. 12, applicant Kamyla Fauntleroy told KCRA she dreams of wearing a badge and having a good career in the prison system.
All applicants will have to wait nine months to see if they qualify to become a cadet.