Employee Retention: Correctional Facility

You are the Corrections Human Relations and Training Officer for a large metropolitan correctional facility known as the Centervale Corrections Facility. This facility has existed for 17 years and has well-developed policies and practices.

The Centervale Corrections Facility was one of the more respected facilities because it diligently practiced the humane and ethical treatment of inmates. Employees were always reported to have been satisfied with the job. Employee evaluation processes within the organization were well thought of for their level of fairness and effectiveness. Moreover, the structural and social aspects of jobs were always well planned, so that employees were clear about what was required of them.

However, over the past two years, things have changed.

The level of job satisfaction experienced by employees is at an all time low. A huge number of people aspiring to be officers apply to your facility every year, yet they don't seem to stay. Upon being questioned, the officers list burnout, communication problems with senior officers, lack of motivation, low pay, poor understanding of job requirements, and poor cooperation from other agencies among their most important reasons for being unhappy with the job. They have been reported to say, "This is not what we expected. This is supposed to be one of the best correctional facilities in the country. But everything is messed up." It seems as though somewhere over the past few years the staff at the Centervale Corrections Facility has become stressed and unsatisfied with the work environment.

The turnover is causing a lot of stress and strain within and around the facility. It is becoming painfully obvious to the government authorities that somewhere down the line planning and management of the Centervale Corrections Facility has deteriorated.

1. Job redesign. Discussed ways that are unusual that might increase job satisfaction among the employees of a prison.
2. Effective leadership. Discussed ways that management can become more democratic and still operate.
3. Effective evaluation and performance measures. Discussed what the criminal justice system should do to obtain a complete and effective understanding of the motivational factors of employees in criminal justice organizations.
4. Improved supervision. Summarized what you've learned about the effective and ineffective communication strategies within criminal justice organizations such as prisons.
Image with other agencies. Described how you will improve cooperation from other agencies and explained why.