Reference no: EM133784403

Assignment:

The largest concentration of prisons in the state of Idaho is located south of the capital city of Boise, known as the Idaho Correctional Complex, where there are six institutions: the South Boise Women's Correctional Center, Idaho Maximum Security Institution, Idaho Medium Security Institution, Idaho Minimum Security Institution, Idaho State Correctional Center, and the Correctional Alternative Placement Program.

For many years, it has been known that those persons working in correctional institutions in this state often made less money than those working in the neighboring state of Oregon, for which their closest institution is about 65 miles from Boise, in the city of Ontario. This led to many correctional officers and staff leaving positions over the years and traveling the distance to Ontario, Oregon, to obtain better pay. On average, correctional officers and jailers receive lower pay than both probation and parole officers ($23.36 versus $27.69 per hour, respectively) as well as lower pay than law enforcement officers ($23.36 versus $30.42 per hour, respectively). This wage gap still exists even if the officers are unionized.

This reduced pay can create additional job stressors, especially when it results in the lack of personnel to fill shifts. Often, this lack of personnel leads to current employees having to take on more or longer shifts, which can result in consequences such as burnout, mistakes, or, worse, violence. This last consequence was seen recently in one of Idaho's prisons. In August 2021, after at least a month of asking lawmakers in Idaho to address the staffing shortages throughout the department, a female staffer was a victim of violence perpetrated by an inmate.

This female staffer was struck in the head and face and suffered facial fractures that subsequently required two surgeries. A corrections sergeant at the prison called the incident "a prison staffing emergency' that taxpayers will ultimately have to pay for." This violent encounter by the prison staff member was not the only incident of violence that has occurred recently. A little more than 1 week later, it was announced that Idaho "Department of Correction officials have bumped starting pay and will offer sign-on and retention bonuses effective immediately." This bump in starting pay equates to a 13.4 percent increase from the previous amount of $16.75 an hour. The Department of Correction has also offered sign-on bonuses of $1,500 and has provided for "potential" $1,500 yearly retention bonuses for the first 5 years of employment."

Questions:

1. What kind of stress can low pay place on a correctional officer or staff member of a prison?

2. What would be the potential arguments that the Department of Correction could make in declining to address the staffing shortages? Do you feel that these arguments would be justified, and why?

3. Why do you think it took a violent incident for the Department of Correction and legislature to address these shortages in staff?