The duties of correctional officers are extremely mentally and physically demanding in nature. They work with disruptive inmates daily. This paired with the mental and physical demands of the duties causes extreme fatigue. Most often, correctional officers do not feel they are appropriately compensated for their work. Many compensation issues, such as rate of pay and the lack of benefits/promotional opportunities, plague these officers. Thus, causing them to seek employment elsewhere. Therefore, contributing to the low retention rate among correctional officers. It is essential for correctional facilities to determine a solution for this problematic issue to ensure the safety of its employees, …show more content…
There is evidence to support the assumption that salary/benefits are a factor in correctional officer retention. A study performed for the Georgia Department of Corrections found that thirty-three percent of the correctional officers who chose to resign, did so due to low salaries, insufficient health insurance, and the lack of paid time off (Udechukwu, Harrington, Manyak, Segal, & Graham, 2007). A different study performed for the Arkansas Department of Corrections found that 51.9% of the correctional officers who chose to resign, did so due to insufficient pay and the lack of benefits, especially that of health insurance (Patenaude, …show more content…
The null hypothesis states there is no relationship between promotional opportunities and the retention rate of correctional officers.
Research Design/Data Collection
Question One: To answer this question, the correctional officers employed by the chosen correctional institution(s) will be asked to complete an anonymous survey. It will ask the officer’s annual salary, are benefits offered, such as health insurance and paid vacations, how would he/she rate his/her satisfaction level of salary/benefits and are these mentioned items a factor for the correctional officer choosing to remain employed by the prison. The question regarding salary will be asked and answered in the following format:
What is your annual salary? Less than 15,000 dollars per year, 15,000-20,000 dollars per year, 20,000-30,000 dollars per year, or greater than 30,000 dollars per year.
How satisfied are you with your salary? Very Dissatisfied, Dissatisfied, Neutral, Satisfied, or Very Satisfied.
What recommendations, if any, do you have for improvement?
Is your salary a factor for maintaining your employment? Yes or No.
The question regarding benefits will be asked and answered in the following