South Carolina Criminal Justice Academy

09/14/2026

This month the South Carolina Criminal Justice Academy started something that Director Jackie Swindler hopes to continue for a while.

On September 1st, the first Tuesday of the month, about 45 Silver Bears enjoyed a delicious breakfast cooked up by Kitchen Supervisor Minnie Davis and staff. While it is usually frowned upon to feed the bears, Chief Swindler made an exception to these retired South Carolina State Troopers who gave themselves the title of Silver Bears.

The Silver Bears have been meeting for breakfast on the first Tuesday of every month for 20 years. Organizer Gary Sowell said this is a great why to stay connected to fellow law enforcement that have become family over the years.

09/11/2026

09/10/2026

On behalf of South Carolina Criminal Justice Director, Chief Jackie Swindler and all of the academy staff, we would like to congratulate Basic Detention class #491 on their completion of the Basic Detention Academy.

Graduation ceremony will be held Friday, September 11, 2026, at 10:00 am at the South Carolina Criminal Justice Academy located on 5400 Broad River Road, Columbia, SC 29212. If you cannot make the graduation in person, you can watch the ceremony live right here on this page. The live feed will begin at 10:00 a.m.

The guest speaker for the graduation will be Major Jason McCombs, Assistant Jail Administrator for Greenville County Detention Center. Major McCombs has over two decades of dedicated service to corrections. Major McCombs began his career with Greenville County Detention Center in October of 2002. McCombs steadily advanced through progressive leadership roles to his current position of assistant jail administrator.

Throughout his tenure, Major McCombs has supervised both security and civilian personnel across multiple functional areas, playing a critical role in managing critical incidents, addressing staffing challenges, optimizing overtime and resource management and maintaining compliance with established inspection standards.

Major McCombs was named Supervisor of the year in 2023. Major McCombs earned a Bachelor of Science in Criminal Justice from Columbia College in August 2022, Grounded in a leadership philosophy that prioritizes accountability, ethical decision-making, consistency, and clear communication, Major McCombs consistently drives high standards and risk mitigation across all facets of facility operations.

Again, congratulations to Basic Detention Class #491. We appreciate your dedication and hard work.

09/04/2026

09/03/2026

Congratulations to Basic Law Enforcement Class #863. South Carolina Criminal Justice Academy Director Jackie Swindler and staff appreciate your dedication and wish you the best in this extraordinary career.

Graduation will take place on Friday, September 4, 2026, at 10:00 am at the South Carolina Criminal Justice Academy located at 5400 Broad River Road, Columbia, South Carolina 29212. If you can't make the graduation in-person you can watch the ceremony live here on FACEBOOK. The live FACEBOOK feed will begin at 10:00 am.

The guest speaker will be Sheriff Hobart Lewis, Greenville County Sheriff's Department. Sheriff Lewis is currently serving his second term of Greenville CSO. He was elected in 2020. Greenville County is one of the largest law enforcement agencies in the state. Sheriff Lewis is responsible for 600,000 residents.

Sheriff Lewis is a life-long resident of Greenville County. He began his law enforcement career in 1994 with Greer Police Department where he rose to rank of Sergeant before taking a job with Greenville County. He was elected to Sheriff in 2019 where he remains today.

As Sheriff, Lewis emphasizes the importance of community partnerships and transparency in Policing. Sheriff Lewis focuses on his offices core mission: to serve justly, fairly, and with integrity. He is the host of a pod cast titled, "Roll Call" where he discusses departmental initiatives, challenges, and broader issues facing law enforcement.

Sheriff Lewis is married to Angie, and they have a son and a daughter. They also have 2 grandchildren,

Again, we would like to extend our congratulations to Basic Law Enforcement Class #863

09/02/2026

Thank you, Chief Jackie Swindler for 10 years as the Director of the South Carolina Criminal Justice Academy. We appreciate your dedication to your employees and your commitment to the public to put the best trained law enforcement officers in departments around the state. Thank you, Chief and congratulations on 10 years at the helm of SCCJA.

08/31/2026

Our hearts are heavy; our words are light. Our thoughts and prayers are with the Delong family as they endure the unimaginable. As the flags, once again, fly at half staff over the South Carolina Criminal Justice Academy, we grieve. We grieve with the DeLong family, we grieve with the Columbia Police Department family, and we grieve with all our brothers and sisters in blue, we grieve with the community for a life that was taken too soon.

19 months ago, Officer Christopher DeLong, Jr. walked across the SCCJA graduation stage after he received his certification from his father. For the Academy staff, Officer DeLong was special. Officer DeLong was one of 10 recruits selected to participate in the basic law enforcement 4-week recordings. Which meant Delong and 9 others attended the academy for a full 12 weeks instead of 4 weeks/ 8 weeks split between the academy and their department.

Officer Delong’s time may have been short, but his contribution and his legacy are priceless. In the words of Queen Elizabeth II, “Grief is the price we pay for love.” Rest in Peace, Officer Christopher DeLong, Jr. Forever in our hearts.

08/21/2026

Happy Birthday Chief Swindler!! Enjoy your delicious carrot cake!!

08/21/2026

08/20/2026

Congratulations to Basic Law Enforcement Class #862. South Carolina Criminal Justice Academy Director Jackie Swindler and staff appreciate your dedication and wish you the best in this extraordinary career.

Graduation will take place on Friday August 21, 2026, at 10:00 am at the South Carolina Criminal Justice Academy located at 5400 Broad River Road, Columbia, South Carolina 29212. If you can't make the graduation in-person you can watch the ceremony live here on FACEBOOK. The live FACEBOOK feed will begin at 10:00 am.

The guest speaker will be Sheriff Leon Lott, Richland County Sheriff's Department.

Again, we would like to extend our congratulations to Basic Law Enforcement Class #862