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Pa. cuts CO vacancies by more than 5% with age requirement change, recruitment push

Corrections officer vacancies have fallen from 10.5% to 4.8% after recruitment events, military outreach and lowering the age requirement from 21 to 18 expanded the applicant pool

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Pennsylvania Department of Corrections/Facebook

PHILADELPHIA — The Pennsylvania Department of Corrections (DOC) reported a sharp decline in corrections officer vacancies, with the rate dropping to 4.8% at the end of January — down from 10.5% in 2022.

The decline follows a series of recruitment initiatives aimed at bolstering staffing levels, the DOC stated.

Recruiting and retaining corrections officers remains a challenge across the country. To address staffing shortages, Pennsylvania DOC established a dedicated Recruitment and Retention Division in late 2022 and has since implemented several changes to attract candidates. These efforts include lowering the minimum hiring age from 21 to 18, securing a waiver to allow out-of-state applicants, and shortening the hiring process by more than 10 days.

In 2024, DOC recruiters participated in more than 750 job fairs, college and university visits, and military and veteran outreach programs. The agency also expanded its commitment to hiring veterans by joining the U.S. Army’s Partnership for Your Success (PaYS) program, which guarantees soldiers a job interview with the DOC or another participating employer after completing their service.

“Everything we do begins with people, and our recruitment and retention team is out in the community virtually every day, engaging with potential applicants to share the benefits and opportunities in the field of corrections,” said Pennsylvania Department of Corrections (DOC) Secretary Dr. Laurel R. Harry. “As corrections officer vacancies decrease, our facilities become safer, more cost-effective, and better equipped to meet the needs of the incarcerated population.”

Pennsylvania still has approximately 400 open corrections officer positions. Trainees undergo five weeks of paid training in Elizabethtown, followed by about a year of on-the-job training. The starting salary is $46,986, with a post-training increase to at least $49,156.

For those interested in a career in corrections, the DOC recruitment team can be contacted at docjobs@pa.gov.

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Sarah Roebuck is the news editor for Police1, Corrections1, FireRescue1 and EMS1, leading daily news coverage. With nearly a decade of digital journalism experience, she has been recognized for her expertise in digital media, including being sourced in Broadcast News in the Digital Age.

A graduate of Central Michigan University with a broadcast and cinematic arts degree, Roebuck joined Lexipol in April 2023. Have a news tip? Email her at news@lexipol.com or connect on LinkedIn.