Staff Shortages are Impacting us, too: Views of Midwestern Jail Officers

• In Event: Special Issues Facing Correctional Officers and Staff

Abstract

In recent years, the staff shortages plaguing our nation’s prisons have received increased attention from scholars and news media alike (Burton et al., 2022). However, understaffing is not solely a problem facing state and federal prisons; it also is severely impacting local jails across the country. In some counties, the vast number of vacant positions have resulted in jails restricting the number of people they are able to admit into their facilities (Baker et al., 2023). Thus, not only is the lack of officers influencing the stress and strain felt by those who work and are housed in local jails, but it also is potentially impacting public safety. Through a survey of front-line staff, the current study examines the experiences and retention intentions of current jail officers from a populous greater Midwest county. From these results, implications for how to address this staffing shortage will be addressed.

Authors

• Cheryl Lero Jonson, Xavier University

• Alexander Burton, The University of Texas at Dallas

• Melissa M. Moon, Northern Kentucky University