Recruitment
The Recruitment section is dedicated to strategies and best practices for attracting and hiring qualified candidates in the correctional field. This directory offers articles and resources on effective recruitment techniques, workforce diversity, and the challenges of staffing correctional facilities. Understanding the recruitment process is essential for building a strong, capable team that meets the demands of the correctional environment. For more on career development, explore our section on Corrections1 Career Resources.
Learn how public safety agencies can overcome recruitment roadblocks with real-world strategies rooted in leadership, transparency and cultural change
Discover why the departments that treat recruiting like marketing are winning — and how to follow their lead
The bonuses are funded by nearly $200 million in federal fines imposed over California’s failure to meet mental health staffing mandates in prisons
The Florida Department of Corrections said the officers are now under criminal investigation
“This is noteworthy because it previously had a 30 percent vacancy rate in September of 2023,” Gov. Jim Justice said
“You would have to be sleeping under a rock in another country not to realize and not to understand the absolute danger that exists in the Georgia State Department of Corrections today,” said Sen. Randy Robertson
“It’s the only way to get anyone’s attention before one of you are calling one of our families to tell a father, a mother, daughter, son was killed in the line of duty,” a 14-year CO said
A new four-year contract was established for correctional officers, offering an annual salary increase of 3.5%, with the potential for further yearly adjustments
The DOC has eliminated the college requirement and slashed the length of training, but has had continuing trouble luring new officers
If approved, commissioners said it will help send the message to correctional officers that “we have their back”
The department said the 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 ramifications of marijuana legislation on agencies and their hiring processes
Lawmakers want to lift an existing residency restriction that prevents Pennsylvania from hiring out-of-state corrections officers
The Massachusetts Correction Officers Federated Union stated that closing MCI-Concord or any other prison “will burden our already violent and dangerous prisons”
Passaic County Sheriff Richard Berdnik was described as “an exemplary law enforcement leader”
With facilities constantly short-staffed, today’s corrections training requires innovative scheduling, methods and platforms for success
In addition to the hiring incentive, the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office will fund training for non-certified corrections recruits
The shortfall comes despite a heavy recruiting effort that has led to a doubling of job applicants; of the department’s 5,991 budgeted corrections officer positions, 2,985 are vacant
“The state needs to do more to support the correctional officers and civilians that walk into these facilities every day to help keep us all safe, not overcrowd them or shut them down,” State Assemblyman D. Billy Jones said
“So some of our jails are law enforcement certified. Some of our jail staff is not law enforcement certified. That, I think, brings a lot of added benefits,” Chippewa County Sheriff’s Office Jail Capt. James Maki said
The Lake County Sheriff’s Office corrections division is down nearly 40% of its normal staffing levels due to vacancies, family and medical leave and other absences
SeaTac federal detention center has 53 officers available to oversee 800 inmates
The COs were in Minneapolis for a recruiting event when they witnessed the incident, which had also gone over the radio as a call for assistance
Union highlights significant wage gap for “under-appreciated, undervalued and misunderstood” probation officers compared to NYPD, correction staff
BOP’s regional office announced the 25% retention pay employees have received since early 2022 will be discontinued at the end of the year
“Officers are the forgotten keepers in the Bureau,” the union said. “We work under stress, mission changes and rise to the occasion every time, doing more with less”
The department’s retention rate has nearly hit 90% over the last 14 months; the DOC credits its lenient uniform rules, social media access during breaks, flexible work schedules and other initiatives
Jeff Rhinerson will support court security officers in upholding the safety and integrity of the Judicial Center in his role as a court security assistant
“It makes zero sense for them to add 1,000 new inmates and cut the pay of the staff members by 25%,” the union said
This may be the year of correctional burnout
The closures are intended to “enhance public safety” and “increase efficiency” inside prisons, VADOC said
The Williamson County Sheriff’s Office in Texas has overcome the recruiting crisis by expediting the hiring process, implementing competitive pay, offering innovative training and updating existing wellness programs
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