By Sarah Roebuck
Corrections1
HARRISBURG, Pa. — The Pennsylvania Department of Corrections lowered the minimum age requirement for corrections officer trainee positions to 18, WHTM reports.
Previously, the age requirement for these trainee roles was set at 21 years old.
The Department states that this adjustment “aligns the corrections officer classification with other DOC positions and with approximately 25 other states that hire corrections officers at the age of 18.”
The change comes as the Pennsylvania Department of Corrections struggles to hire and retain corrections officers. To broaden the pool of potential new hires, lawmakers in January introduced a bill that would lift an existing residency restriction that prevents Pennsylvania from hiring out-of-state corrections officers.
In November, the DOC waived the residency requirement for corrections officers at SCI Greene.
“Because SCI Greene is located about 20 miles from the southern border of Pennsylvania, we have historically seen significant interest from applicants living in West Virginia,” said Captain Dennis Reichert, supervisor of the DOC’s Recruitment and Retention Division. “Waiving the Pennsylvania residency requirement for corrections officer positions at SCI Greene allows us to recruit job seekers who live within driving distance but had previously been prohibited from consideration.”
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