Turnover Rate in Corrections

The Nation Wide Dilemma in discussion section of corrections CJ 2500 CORRECTIONS Professor November 04, 2012 Running Head Turnover Rate in corrections Abstract Throughout the years, there has been one major plight that continues to hassle the administration whose sole purpose is to provide institutional sanctions, preaching programs, and services for managing criminal offenders. This dilemma is the high turnover rate rate of the department of corrections officers, whom agencies nation wide atomic number 18 losing at an extremely high rate. upstart statistics charge that nearly half of all corrections honorary society graduates volition sacrifice left their agency within a two-year menses ( say questions high, 2004). This high turnover rate is causing a staff shortage, which is forcing agencies to compose impertinently officers on the job immediately darn cosmos untrained. though the touchstone of department of corrections officers departing from their agencies contin ues to rise, the occur of hustles entering prisons pillows the same.This of course merchant ship become a serious safety issue for the departments employing these fresh hires that ar misfortunately trained. Throughout this paper I exit explore the m whatever possibilities of whats causing Corrections incumbents to depart from their agencies at much(prenominal) a high rate. Whether its the demanding hours associated with shift work, the high reach and burnout, or the inadequate pay and benefits, all possibilities bequeath be discussed in an attempt to insure why the retention rate of Corrections Officers is lower compared to various different careers across the nation.The surgical incision of Corrections (DOC), privately owned jails, parish jails, and local urban center jails not only depend the hardship of maintaining inmate property, specific kilocalorie counts from meals provided, medicine dispensing, doctor visits, and numerous other tasks required that Correctio ns Officers pass to on a typical day of work, but these facilities also face the hardship of retaining these Officers for extended lengths of employment. As stated in the Abstract of this paper, Recent statistics indicate that nearly half of all Corrections Academy graduates ordain have left their agency within a two-year period (State questions high, 2004).This has become a major problem for agencies that have a continuous increase in the number of inmates entering these facilities each year, while decent almost impossible to keep enough manpower to become shifts in a safe and secure manner. It is stated that in 1999, the turnover rate of Officers and Corporals within an agency was 29. 6 percent, while the average elevate of Officers was 3 years (Department of corrections,). The turnover rates in 2000 ranged from a low of 3. percent in New York, to a high of 41 percent in Louisiana (Lommel, 2004). Typically, once an Officer has been hired and real the job, they are to be trai ned in some type of Corrections Academy. The department hiring the Officer may host this Academy, or the Officer may have to travel to gravel their gentility. Either way, previous to an Officer actually beginning their job monitoring the walkways of a prison or jail, the Officer should prototypal be well trained to ensure theirs, the inmates, and other Officers safety.However, over overimputable to the high number of va lotcies within Corrections, Officers are creation hired without any experience, while hoping to receive this training academy shortly after becoming employed. Some agencies have established a policy that once the Officer has completed their training at an Academy, they are to sign a twitch stating that they will remain with the department for a preen amount of years. This is due to the high costs that an agency incurs by having these Officers sent to an accredited Academy to receive their training.The dollar amount that an agency may spend on an Officers tra ining may range anywhere between a a few(prenominal) hundred dollars, to a few thousand dollars. To elaborate on the amount of vacancies within Corrections, this could very well be a contributing portion to the increased amount of Officers who resign due to stress and burnout. Officers are being ordered in on their off days or holidays, compel to work mandatory over cartridge clip, a higher inmate to punitory Officer ratio, as well as experienced Officers having to work with an extensive amount of rookie or inexperienced Correctional Officers.This combining of experienced officers with new hires, who have not received any type of prior training, raises the stress level during dangerous interactions with inmates, as well lowering the morale of the Officers who remain and attempt to complete their careers with a specific agency. This may be due to ache term employees realizing that many of the new hires are using their cartridge clip as a Correctional Officer to gain experience, or as a stepping-stone to eventually become a road or police Officer, which may involve more experienced Officers not spending the time necessary to assist, or provide On the job training to the new hires.Additional causes of stress may include the threat of inmate violence, actual inmate violence, inmate demands and manipulations, problems with co-workers, as well as having a poor overt image. For example, Between 1990 and 1995, the number of attacks on correctional officers in State and federal official prisons jumped by nearly one third, from 10,731 to 14,165 (Lommel, 2004). An additional stress added to a Correctional Officers life is being able to balance and separate work from their personal relationships.Workdays at a correctional facility often involve long hours of uneventful and routine procedures. This routine may quickly be break by a brief period of crisis. Some Officers have issues with being able to return to a calm state once a crisis occurs, often times bringing their problems home to their families. This may lead Officers to agency abuse, or alcoholism. righteousness Enforcement careers can be an extremely difficult, stressful, yet recognise career, even when referring to Corrections Officers.However, due to the long work hours associated with shift work, unite with the stressful and strenuous workdays officers are exposed to, it seems as if all Law Enforcement, to include Corrections officers do not receive the pay and benefits that they are entitled to. A large number of Corrections Officers are bring home the bacon this career field due to struggling with raising families while essay to balance and survive on the annual salary of a Corrections Officer. It seems as if economically speaking, the value of everyday necessities ontinues to rise in value, exclude for the officers paychecks. This dilemma, combined with the additional stress an Officer encounters on the job, could possibly beg off why many Officers leave their jobs due to stress and burnout. The benefits that an Officer, or Corrections Officer receives is usually the highlight of their employment contract. Officers usually do receive good damages and retirement plans. Not just for them, but for their families as well. However, the type of insurance that an Officer receives depends on the plan that the agency has purchased.Some agencies will have top of the line benefits, while others may have insurance carriers with extremely high deductibles and rates, due to tight budget restraints and cutbacks within the department. In addition to the stress, burnout, long hours, and low pay, many officers are never set on retiring within corrections. As previously stated, numerous officers, such as myself, use corrections as a stepping-stone, or training prior to being hired for a patrol position.Numerous agencies such as Sheriffs Offices of various Parishes within the state, require that an separate hired first serve one to two years within the parish jail prior to being sent to a Police Academy and ultimately land a position on patrol. Many agencies have come to exonerate this, which is why they may not spend the time, effort, and funds to train the individual to become a more efficient Corrections Officer. By reflecting on the issues presented in this paper, it is determined that turnover rate in Corrections Officers will likely continue to be a rising problem for agencies.Administrators seeking seminars on retention strategies, which may depend on additional funding, can combat some of these issues. Agencies can improve their policies, improve management, increase criteria of the blanket process, as well as address the wage and benefit issue. However, no matter what an agency decides in attempting to retain there officers, there will always be the Officers that slip through the cracks and ultimately cost the department more funding in training the individual, only to have them leave the agency before reaching their desired and previously stated commitment.WORKS CITED Department of corrections background and statistics. (n. d. ). Retrieved from http//legisweb. state. wy. us/progeval/reports/2000/turnovr/Chapter4. htm High turnover of corrections staff, inordinate priosoner head counts attract media attention. (2006, Sep 06). Retrieved from http//www. bcgeu. ca/node/1314 Lommel, J. (2004, August). Turning most turnover. Retrieved from http//search. proquest. com. ezproxy. liberty. edu2048/docview/215699356 State questions high turnover among prison officers. (2004, 04 05). 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