Recruitment & Retention in Corrections
Jails across the country continue to struggle with vacancies, recruitment, and retention. Some departments of corrections (DOCs) are even declaring a state of emergency due to extreme staffing challenges, even though 2023 has seen an increase in police officer hiring and retention.¹ It is clear that, although they are available, law enforcement professionals are reluctant to work in corrections.
Highlight advancement opportunities
Corrections shouldn’t be viewed as a dead-end job; it’s a vital part of the law enforcement community. Market jail positions as a law enforcement career with opportunities for upward mobility and leadership experience. Highlight the similarities and career advancement prospects to attract potential candidates.
For law enforcement professionals who aren’t interested in corrections, the jail still creates a diverse and robust resume for officers, making them well-rounded candidates for patrol positions and beyond. Corrections has natural incentives and skill development that can be marketed to an individual seeking a career in law enforcement, such as:
· De-escalation training: Since many correctional positions are unarmed, de-escalation techniques are some of the first skills a correctional officer will learn. A patrol officer who can prevent further use of force and potentially mitigate adverse use of force events is desirable to agencies.
· Reliable and relevant work experience: Candidates learn about the criminal element in the community by interacting with those in the jail. Correctional officers are informed of community issues like drugs, gangs, and who is involved with who.
· Leadership opportunities: Jails are uniquely positioned to offer many different types of leadership opportunities. From traditional roles such as shift supervisor, to site-specific positions such as recreation coordinator, jail positions provide law enforcement professionals with applicable administrative and leadership skills.
· Investigations experience: Jail officers are tasked with investigating a host of issues in the jail, including fights and contraband. Additional specialty positions in the jail – for example the Critical Extraction and Response Team (CERT) – mirror police units such as SWAT and provide niche experience in things like extractions and negotiations.
Generally, once a correctional officer begins to take advantage of specialized roles and advancement opportunities within the jail, they stay for a career in corrections. Make jail marketable
Eliminate silos
Instead of constantly cycling through new recruits who leave for community work elsewhere, use your jail to recruit for your patrol. Many professionals see corrections as an entry-level position into law enforcement, so take advantage of the perception and let it work for you instead of against you. Applicants are already viewing it that way, regardless of your marketing. Break silos between jail and patrol.
Jail is not just a training ground, but you can support a transition to your own house instead of training up recruits who then leave. By using jails to recruit and train future officers, departments can create a more connected and effective team.
A sheriff may consider making a jail position mandatory before promoting to another post. Mandatory duty in corrections can help officers build the skills mentioned above and become familiar with a department’s processes before moving to road duty. Eliminate silos between jail and patrol to improve recruitment across an entire department.
For more information, please contact training@sparktraining.us.
1. Smith, Patrick (2024). Police officer hiring in U.S. increases in 2023 after years of decline, survey shows. NBC News. https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/police-officer-hiring-us-increases-2023-years-decline-survey-shows-rcna149749.
Disclaimer
All materials have been prepared for general information purposes only. The information presented should be treated as guidelines, not rules. The information presented is not intended to establish a standard of medical care and is not a substitute for common sense. The information presented is not legal advice, is not to be acted on as such, may not be current, and is subject to change without notice. Each situation should be addressed on a case-by-case basis. When in doubt, send them out!®