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Officer Training, Employment, and Reciprocity

The following page includes information on the minimum requirements for law enforcement, jail, and juvenile detention officer employment and training in Wisconsin along with information on reciprocity for law enforcement and jail officers.

A factsheet specific to law enforcement hiring standards and training requirements is included below. Information can also be found in the LESB Policy and Procedures Manual.

    Reciprocity (Information and Forms)

  • The Wisconsin Law Enforcement Standards Board (LESB) considers waivers of basic law enforcement training for applicants who meet certain eligibility requirements.

    The eligibility requirements for law enforcement reciprocity include:

    1. Applicants must meet minimum employment requirements (Chapter LES 2, Wisconsin Administrative Code).
    2. Applicants must have completed preparatory or basic law enforcement officer training in another state (or with the military or federal government) that is similar to Wisconsin's preparatory law enforcement officer training academy.
    3. Applicants must hold or have held employment as a certified or licensed law enforcement or tribal law enforcement officer in another state, or hold or have held military veteran status in a Military Occupational Specialty (MOS) as a law enforcement officer (Military Police/ Security Forces/ Master at Arms), or hold or have held employment as a federal law enforcement officer. Employment must be full-time for a minimum of one-year beyond basic training, fully empowered and paid for all hours worked. The applicant must still hold law enforcement employment or have left law enforcement employment voluntarily with a good record and been out of full-time law enforcement employment for less than three years.

    Applicants who meet the eligibility requirements for law enforcement reciprocity may apply via the Law Enforcement Reciprocity Examination Application (form DJ-LE-300) below.

    Questions about reciprocity should be directed to Jerry Mullen at mullenge@doj.state.wi.us or (608) 266-7380.

  • The Wisconsin Law Enforcement Standards Board (LESB) considers waivers of basic jail officer training for applicants who meet certain eligibility requirements.

    The eligibility requirements for jail reciprocity include:

    1. Applicants must meet minimum employment requirements (Chapter LES 2, Wisconsin Administrative Code).
    2. Applicants must have completed a preparatory correctional officer training program with the DOC; been employed by the DOC for a minimum of one-year full-time as a correctional officer; and left correctional officer employment with the DOC voluntarily, with a good record, and been out of that employment for three years or less. -or-  Applicants must have completed preparatory jail officer training that is similar to Wisconsin's preparatory jail officer training in another state; held employment as a certified jail officer in another state for a minimum of one-year full-time; and have left jail officer employment voluntarily, with a good record, and been out of that employment for three years or less.
    3. Applicants must have gained employment as a jail officer with a Wisconsin county jail. The employing agency must have a field training program that can provide sufficient training in the areas that a DOC correctional officer would be missing when coming into a jail officer position. Field training is also a requirement for officers who have held employment as a jail officer in another state. Field training needs to be completed in advance of the Jail Reciprocity Exam, and must include training in the following topics: Professional Communication Skills, Admitting and Releasing Inmates, DOC 350, Correctional Law, Inmate Supervision and Behavior Control, Jail Health Care, and Principles of Subject Control (POSC). The applicant must successfully complete the POSC Skills Competency Checklist for a LESB-certified POSC instructor. 

    Applicants who meet the eligibility requirements for jail reciprocity may apply via the Jail Reciprocity Examination Application (form DJ-LE-301) below.

    Questions about reciprocity should be directed to Jerry Mullen at mullenge@doj.state.wi.us or (608) 266-7380.

Law Enforcement Academy Physical Readiness Test (PRT)

Physical Readiness Test Video

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    Physical Readiness Test (PRT) Reporting

  • The entry Physical Readiness Test (PRT) must be successfully completed by law enforcement academy candidates within 180 days prior to taking part in any law enforcement academy coursework. The entry PRT may be offered by an academy certified by the Law Enforcement Standards Board (LESB) or by a recruit's employing law enforcement agency. The PRT must be conducted by a Physical Fitness Assessor registered with the LESB as a Credentialed Instructor. Academies and law enforcement agencies that offer the entry PRT are required to provide demographics and performance data for all participants via the DOJ's REDCap System. Academies are also required to provide demographic and performance data for all participants in the exit PRT via the DOJ's REDCap System.

    Gaining Access to REDCap:

    1. Anyone entering PRT data must first submit the following form requesting access to REDCap: https://redcap.link/Access_PRT_Tool
    2. Wait for an email from DOJ saying that you have been granted access to REDCap. This could take a few days. Follow the instructions to complete setting up your account, including setting a password on the TRAIN website.
    3. Sign-in to REDCap for the first time and fill out the required information: https://datacap.doj.wi.gov/
    4. Notify DOJ that you've logged in to REDCap for the first time by emailing statsanalysis@doj.state.wi.us. A user needs to log in to REDCap before DOJ can grant them access to the PRT Data Collection tool.
    5. Wait for an email from REDCap/DOJ confirming you have been added to the Physical Readiness Test (PRT) Data Tool. Click the project link in the confirmation email. This could take a few days.
    6. Log in to REDCap and start adding PRT Data following the instructions provided in the PRT Data Entry Manual provided below.

    If you have any questions or need help, please contact us at: statsanalysis@doj.state.wi.us

    PRT REDCap Data Instructions

Contact Us

If you have questions about qualifications for officer training or employment, please contact the Training and Standards Bureau at tsb@doj.state.wi.us or (608) 266-8800.

Questions about reciprocity should be directed to Jerry Mullen at mullenge@doj.state.wi.us or (608) 266-7380.