Alabama DOC to focus on officer retention to help prison system

MONTGOMERY, AL - Better corrections officer retention is necessary to help out Alabama's prison systems, which narrowly avoided a federal take over after the Legislature passed prison reform legislation last year.

The state still has the most overcrowded prison system in the country, and every facility is short on staff. According to the DOC, the state has just more than 2,800 officers to handle more than 23,000 inmates.

According to Commissioner Jefferson Dunn an accepted inmate-to-officer ration is 5-to-1. Alabama's ratio is at 9 to 1. Dunn said the biggest issue when it comes to the number of officers is attrition.

The commissioner said less than half of each new corrections officer class will still be with the department after 5 years. He said if Corrections can retain more officers, the shortage problem could be solved.

Attrition for corrections officers can be understandable. According to Dunn, corrections officers is "middle of the pack" for Southeastern states, but is near the bottom when it comes to other officers across the state.

[MORE: DOC says overcrowding and understaffing contribute to prison violence]

Dunn added that working conditions can be difficult, 12 hour shifts in prisons, some without air conditioning, watching one of the most dangerous populations in the state.

The commissioner said he wants to implement more incentives for correction officers. He wants better pay and better benefits for the job to include things like career advancement. Dunn said he also wants to offer education benefits as well.

One issue which may stand in Dunn's way: Money. The DOC was one of only five departments to receive level funding (plus money needed for prison reform) last year. However finding any more money is expected to be a challenge, after recent budget cuts have many programs asking for money.

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