Somerville Man Part of Corrections Officers Graduating Class

Middlesex County Sheriff Peter J. Koutoujian pulled no punches when he described the job of corrections officer as "difficult" and "stressful."

With that in mind, he expressed great pride in the 53 men and women who graduated from the Middlesex County Department of Corrections 35th Basic Training Academy in a ceremony at Dargin Hall on the South Campus of UMass Lowell.

Among them was Somerville resident Ducakis Germain, a military veteran whom Koutoujian honored at the graduation ceremony.

Koutoujian told the hundreds of friends and family in attendance that the work done by corrections officers is often under appreciated, a situation he is committed to changing.

“Corrections officers should be recognized in the way firefighters and police
officers are,” he said. “My job is to shed light on the work you do every day.” 

The 2012 Basic Academy Training program was the first in four years for the Middlesex County Sheriff's Department and the first since Koutoujian was named sheriff in 2011.

In another first, Koutoujian only opened the academy to those officers who already had been working at the Middlesex Sheriff’s Office, most of whom were working on a temporary basis.

In addition to Germaine, Koutoujian also honored three other military veterans in the graduating class: Brandon Dobbins of Medford, Eric Cunha of Lowell and Mark Anderson of Dorchester.

In his Keynote Speech to the graduates, Massachusetts Department of Corrections Commissioner Luis Spencer emphasized the value of integrity and encouraged them to exhibit honorable conduct both while in uniform and during their time away from the job.

"Protect your reputation and use your time wisely," said Spencer, who began his career as a corrections officer. "Remember your mission."

Spencer also reminded the new officers that their education should not stop with the end of basic training.

"Take the time to learn the policies and study the procedures because these are put in place to see you home safely," he said.

Below is the class list for the 35th Basic Training Academy for the Middlesex County Department of Corrections.

Beverly

James Cribbins

Billerica

Shawn Ankenbauer

 Kevin Graham

 Timothy O’Leary

 Ryan Ostler

 David Petersen

 Shawn Pimental

 John Gray

Boston

Keri Hogan

Braintree

James Lau

Dorchester

Mark Anderson

East Boston

Joseph Cataldo

Everett

Robert Cooper

 Daniel Hansen

 Atul Kumar

 John Riley

Hyde Park

Antwane Daye

Lowell

Eric Cunha

 Shawn Flynn

 Michael Geoffroy

 Robert McMahon

 Casey Ramalho

 Michael Wisenburg

Lunenburg

Deven O’Brien

Malden

Cory D’Entremont

 Michael Gilardi

Medford

Joseph Brock

 Brandon Dobbins

 Richard St. Germain

Melrose

Vincent Collins

N. Andover

Jessica Kelley

Peabody

Michael Marks

Randolph

Vardy Duperval

Reading

Anthony Moccia

Revere

Aleksandar Biljanovic

Saugus

Gregory Petto

Somerville

Ducakis Germain

Tewksbury

James Bancroft

 Richard Griffin

 Christian Irving

 Timothy Mancusi

 Kevin McCarthy

 Ryan Walsh

Tyngsboro

Robert Bell

Ronald Goulet

Wakefield

Konstantine Bourikas

Waltham

Robert Millian

Watertown

Mark Haskell

Westford

 Jason Tully

Wilmington

Michael Gover

Winchester

Edward Welch

Woburn

Randy Morales

Francis Reid