YCSO Welcomes Three New Detention Officers After Academy Graduation

Published on March 12, 2026

YCSO welcomed three new Detention Deputies following their graduation March 6th in Yavapai Detention Academy (YDA) class 1-2026. The class motto was "Never Back Down, Never Give Up."

Brooklynn Arnold, Jullie Dominguez, and David Leithead have been assigned to the Camp Verde jail facility following their completion of the 9-week training academy. The three received their badges and certificates in a ceremony in Clarkdale attended by many family members and friends. All of the graduates have family members with YCSO experience. Leithead swept the four awards handed out: Physical Fitness, Academics, Physical Fitness Improvement, and Overall Honor.

Academy Sergeant Jeremy Maisenbach told the graduates that overcoming the uncertainty of what might happen on any given day is a critical part of their new profession. As he put it, "You are stepping into the unknown. If you go into this career thinking you already know what's going to happen, you've already lost your edge. Overcoming the unknown is the ability to keep your head when the environment gets loud, and the discipline to rely on your training when your adrenaline is screaming at you." Sgt Maisenbach told the new Detention Officers it's challenging work because "you will see people at their absolute worst. You will deal with chaos, heartbreak and defiance. The unknown will try to make you cynical, cold and indifferent. It will try and change who you are. But you are the constant in the chaos. By your character, you overcome the uncertainty of the jail by becoming the most certain thing in it."

Keynote speaker YCSO Detention Services Captain Joseph Lincoln told the gathering, "This is the first step in what we hope will be a long and wonderful career of service to their communities and the people they serve." He urged the graduates to maintain professionalism and integrity when dealing with those they come in contact with each day, stressing that "all of those entering the jail are innocent until proven guilty, and it's not up to us to decide which is which. The most important thing is to always remember your training, and to never compromise morals, integrity or character. We can train skill, but character and integrity we cannot teach."

Class Leader Arnold, in her remarks at the ceremony, said that after completing the intense 9-week regimen, the graduates are a team that is "stronger, sharper, and ready" for the physical and mental challenges of their new career. She said, "We have pushed far past what we thought were our limits. Quitting would have been easier, but we carried each other through it." And she thanked the family and friends who supported the trio through "late nights, sore muscles, and the stress that came home with us every day." She concluded with, "This is not the end. It is the beginning. The badge we have earned represents trust, responsibility, and service."

If you would like to start a great career with YCSO, contact our Recruitment Division at (928) 554-8611 or go to ycsojobs.com.