Improve Recruitment and Retention in Corrections

What is a “good job”? The answer likely looks different to everyone based on their preferences, but people can make some common assumptions. When considering what makes a good job, people often evaluate a host of pros and cons. The most frequent responses traditionally speak to:

1. high pay,

2. flexible schedules, and

3. safe and comfortable work environments.

Unfortunately, correctional officers don’t always receive these three things. Working as a correctional officer in a jail or prison often means being underpaid, working mandatory overtime, and being subject to potentially dangerous situations throughout the shift. Therefore, it is no surprise that correctional officer recruitment and retention is a prominent issue across the country.

It is our responsibility as stakeholders to ensure support resources are available for corrections staff and to ensure the stability of our correctional system. To resolve the low recruitment and retention rates present in the corrections field, many reforms are needed.

Pay Incentives

The first reform that should be considered is an increase in pay for correctional staff. Investing in the current staff and increasing the opportunity for pay incentives will make the job seem more appealing to some job seekers. When people are underpaid, they are less likely to stay in that position and less likely to put effort into their jobs. Low wages exacerbate correctional officers’ problems as there continues to be a mass migration from the field, those who stay feel that they cannot give their best effort. Such actions would also be hazardous, considering that correctional officers are almost in constant contact with convicted criminals and the mentally unwell. It should be understood that there is a variety of ways to apply this reform as there are differing forms of pay incentives. Whether it be base pay increases, referral bonuses, longevity pay, or performance based incentive pay the notion is the same. These reforms are an investment but recognition of good work is imperative. Verbal praise is always beneficial however, pay incentives are an actionable way to show workers that they are valued members of the community.

Opportunities for job enrichment

Another reform that could be made to increase staff recruitment and retention is to present opportunities for job enrichment. Job enrichment can be applied in numerous ways, including giving staff varying responsibilities that may rotate or shift, flexible work schedule programs, or offering formalized peer support. This can prevent workers from falling into the same monotonous schedule which can be mundane, increase fatigue, and lead to burnout.

In partnership with these responsibilities should be opportunities to complete training or outside events so that staff can hone their skills and become more knowledgeable about the field and the people in it. These skills can then be applied upon returning to their workplaces. However, potentially most important is that workers feel they have opportunities to advance within the hierarchical structure. This is foundational to leadership development.

Staff want to know that if they work hard and put in the effort they will be recognized beyond just verbal praise. Those who do not see such opportunities in their jobs will often feel stuck and that leaving is the only way to move up. Therefore, it is imperative that agencies create a positive and enriching environment for staff to develop as future leaders.

Collaboration: Top Down and Bottom Up

A third reform that would greatly benefit the correctional community is relationship building between unions and management. This can be conducted in number of ways such as the introduction of a negotiator. The role of the negotiator would be to act as a third-party arbitrator between the communities’ union and upper management when conflicts arise. Understandably, unions can often clash with management on funding and certain work policies or benefits. Therefore, the addition of a negotiator would be valuable as they can work with both parties to come up with a compromise that suits both parties' needs.

Ultimately relationship can be built and sustained in a variety of ways but the goal is to ease tensions and open the space to collaboration and compromise. Such change is welcome as these relationships are critical; unions can report how policies affect work while management can introduce the monetary and systematic context of changes. Although the field of corrections is currently facing hardships, the issues they face are all solvable. These issues do not have to continue to permeate facilities into the future; however, the problem needs to be recognized and addressed.

Local, state and federal governments need to be made aware of the difficulties correctional officers and institutions face daily, and they must work in tandem with these facilities to support better conditions. Investments need to be made into their workers, physical facilities and job enrichment programs must be formed and championed. Finally, the building and maintenance of the relationship between unions and management should be facilitated through negotiators or other programs. The recruitment and retention rate should increase as a result of implementing these reforms. As time passes, maybe people will begin to reconsider their previous evaluations of corrections and see it as a “good job”.

Put a plan into action

Every corrections facility is unique. If you are ready to improve recruitment and retention at your organization, please get in touch with us. We can help you develop custom solutions that can lead to a successful track record in our industry. To begin putting a plan in action in place, contact us today.