Correctional Officer Retention

Words: 1326
Pages: 6
Open Document
Statement of the Problem

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
Show More

Related Documents: Correctional Officer Retention

Ohio Correctional System: A Case Study

Finally, Stickrath and Sheppard (2004) discussed creative ways to recruit and hire candidates for the California Correctional system. They focused on the cognitive abilities in the workplace. For example, two cognitive areas they examined were one's ability to pass every job performance, and whether that should be expected at the time of hire or could it be trained (Stickrath & Sheppard, 2004). This is an important step when identifying what knowledge, skills, abilities and other characteristics…

Words 1202 - Pages 5

Prison and Criminal Justice Essay

will address and speculate on offender type that seems to be an old problem but yet is becoming an ever increasing difficulty to handle in the corrections system; the mentally ill. First of all the police, in a general sense, is a force of sworn officers trained to protect the community and in a more direct sense serve the city they operate in. Police departments all across the nation act to protect citizens but more importantly precincts and departments are organized in jurisdictions so that they…

Words 2685 - Pages 11

Struggles Facing Women in the Police Force Essay

right up there with men in the jobs category. Most thought that to be a police officer you had to be a male because they are stronger and show less weakness, but overtime woman fought back to be allowed in the force. The first woman to become an officer was in 1905. In 1968, the first women police officer on patrol. In 2000 women made their biggest mark on the police system and made up to 13 percent of all police officers. Although they have come such a far way to get equal rights and get jobs, the…

Words 1613 - Pages 7

South Carolina Department of Juvenile Justice Essay

approximately 1,700 permanent employees, advising them on issues regarding organization development and change; strategic planning; staff development, training, and recognition; and interagency communication. They also oversee the recruitment, selection and retention to ensure a professional and stable workforce of new employees. Moreover, human resources, is responsible for making sure all employees are subject to fair treatment. They determine pay grades and qualifications for positions. DJJ is an agency that…

Words 2065 - Pages 9