According to recent census data, the population of Hidalgo County grew by about 100,000 people in 10 years.

That rapid population growth is putting pressure on the Hidalgo County Adult Detention Center to keep up.

"As Hidalgo County grows, our inmate population has grown,” Hidalgo County Sheriff's Office Captain David Friedlein said. “That necessitates the need for more detention officers."

The new corrections academy at South Texas College aims to alleviate that issue.

Students undergoing the six-week course will take the licensing exams to become a county corrections officer in the state of Texas. Those that pass will have a job waiting for them at the Hidalgo County Sheriff's Office.

Friedlein described the partnership with STC as a game changer.

“As soon as we have these cadets graduate from the jailer’s academy, we're going to end up with a new set of detention officers that we otherwise would not have had," Freidlein said.

The sheriff's office currently has more than 40 position open.

“That's gonna fill a role that the sheriff's office badly needs,” STC public safety department Chair Victor Valdez Jr. said. “They've expanded their courthouse, so they have to fill a lot of positions in the jail that meet that role."

The starting salary for a corrections officer is over $36,000.

Those interested can apply online, or call 956-872-4208.