What Can Be Done to Make Prisons Better Workplaces

The recent wildcat strike by New York state corrections officers, which resulted in the firing of more than 2,000 prison guards, highlights deep-seated challenges within the system. This problem is hardly unique to New York: A long-standing recruitment crisis plagues correctional agencies across the country. What’s at stake is not just safety and security within our prisons but also safety within our communities, as this depends in part on people leaving prison with the tools to succeed.

Striking New York officers cited grievances such as daily shifts of 16 hours, low pay, insufficient equipment to screen contraband and a reorganization plan that lowered staffing requirements at some facilities. Such concerns shouldn’t be taken lightly, and a strike can create leverage for long-term improvements, but work stoppages disrupt programming, educational initiatives and treatment services. Instead, incarcerated individuals are often left on extended lockdowns, potentially increasing the very tensions that frequently make prisons unattractive workplaces.

This vicious cycle and the staffing crisis in corrections has reached a breaking point. Correctional agencies are experiencing record-high vacancy rates, leading to severe understaffing, increased reliance on overtime and officer burnout. The inability to attract and retain officers is due not only to factors such as low pay and poor working conditions but also the perception that corrections is a dead-end career rather than a public-service profession.

The New York state Assembly has launched a review of the prison system as it copes with an alarming 4,000-officer shortfall and, like Florida, relies on the National Guard as a stopgap measure. So, how can New York, Florida and other states turn the tide?

Correctional leaders can take some cues from recent innovations to ease the recruitment and retention problems plaguing police forces. Ohio is among states that have created partnerships with colleges, an approach that aligns with the ROTC model that for decades has funneled a steady flow of young talent into the military. Given that many jurisdictions do not require that corrections officers hold a four-year college degree, such partnerships could be particularly fruitful at community colleges and high schools.

Of course, recruitment is just half the battle because retention rates for correctional officers are abysmal. In Texas, for instance, more than 40 percent of officers quit within one year.

Ensuring that officers have the right training and feel part of the broader mission of promoting safety through rehabilitation is part of the answer. Correctional officers should be equipped with skills that maintain security, including not just training on doing inspections and operating locking systems but also on de-escalating conflicts and positively engaging with prisoners. In Norway, where corrections officers play a central role in rehabilitative programs, work in humane environments and receive extensive training, there are more than five times as many applicants as positions available.
Here again, corrections agencies can learn from their counterparts in policing by instituting evidence-based wellness programs. This is particularly important given that many correctional officers work long hours in dark, loud and unpleasant environments.

The creation of a wellness program for patrol officers and jailers in the Williamson County, Texas, Sheriff’s Office was one of the factors credited with boosting retention.

With an aging workforce, another piece of the puzzle is creating incentives for older staff to work past their retirement age, at least on a part-time basis and perhaps even while drawing a partial pension. The Texas prison system offers one such option.

Furthermore, correctional agencies must focus on bolstering workplace culture and job satisfaction, as outlined in a report from the national philanthropy Chicago Beyond that surveyed both former corrections officers and former inmates. Recommended strategies include providing mental health support for officers, reducing mandatory overtime, harnessing the staff multiplier benefits of peer support programs and ensuring that staff have ample professional development and career-ladder opportunities. These priorities align with the recommendations of One Voice United, a group of current and former corrections officers formed in 2016 to improve prison conditions and community safety.

One creative solution to enhance professional development and retention is incentivizing higher education among correctional officers. One such program even enables prisoners and staff to attend classes together. While data is scarce on the impact of college on correctional officer performance, research consistently shows that police officers with college degrees are more likely to engage in de-escalation, communicate effectively and view their roles as part of a broader public safety mission.

If we want a correctional system that truly promotes safety, rehabilitation and successful re-entry, we must address the root causes of staffing struggles while reframing correctional work as a mission-driven profession rather than a last-resort career option.

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