Shortage of Correctional Officers - Essay Example

The Department is unable to hire enough correctional officers to meet its prison's needs so they often use costly overtime hours to cover for the shortage of officers. One factor that influences the supply of correctional officers is that there are difficulties in attracting and training enough correctional officers. Although hiring more correctional officers would ease problems, the department may not fill the need to operate its academy at full capacity. Another is a shortfall of budget and plan.

Based on Audits report During the first half-year of 2001-02, the department spent more than 110 million for staff overtime. The budgeted amount for staff is worth $74 million but surprisingly it is already $36 million more than the budgeted amount was spent for overtime. During their study, they found out that hiring 3,200 staff of officers is needed to work the hours assigned as overtime to current staff. Other problems must be considered though overtime can be pleasurable to some officers because excessive overtime can raise health and safety concerns, it suggests to assign academy graduates to prisons experiencing high rates of overtime.

The department of Correction can give safety concerns by monitoring the amounts of overtime of an individual correctional officer. In regards to salary, based on the audit report, State Correctional Officers' salary starts at $2,001 a month during their six-week training period. After successful completion of training, they receive $2,355 a month within-grade raises up to $3,835. The usual workweek is forty hours, but officers may be assigned to any one of three eight-hour shifts. Overtime, which may be required during emergencies, is compensated at time and a half.

Federal employees start their careers at the GS-5 level, which offers a pay range of $ 1,627 to $2,115 a month. The top step usually achieved is the Senior Officer Specialist, GS_8, which ranges from $2,231- $2,901 per month. Correctional shortages at California prison can increase its supply of correctional officers by exploring opportunities to attract more qualified applicants. Make the attention of the operating academy to pursue additional funding to give its full capacity. It also recommends considering the feasibility of increasing the number of correctional officer applicants and physical capacity for training them.

Maximize the use of officers by converting them to full time or ensure them that they work as close to the maximum of 2,000 hours a year if possible to fill the needs being met with overtime. Once it attracts cadets to the academy than its budgeted positions, then the department should pursue funding for additional correctional officer positions it will need in order to reduce its reliance on overtime.