NCJ Number
160883
Date Published
1996
Length
42 pages
Annotation
A policy review of correctional officer staffing levels in the Florida Department of Corrections (DOC) explored current correctional officer staffing levels at State correctional institutions, consequences and causes of existing DOC staffing levels, and whether the DOC had a process for determining the number of officers needed at its correctional institutions.
Abstract
The review found that the DOC operated its prisons during the 1994-1995 fiscal year with about 80 percent of correctional officer posts filled. Prisons were frequently staffed with the minimum number of correctional officers needed to ensure public safety. When correctional institutions operated at or near their critical complement, the DOC's ability to ensure the safety of the public, correctional officers, and inmates decreased. The DOC sometimes relied on experienced or fatigued staff, and recent policy changes placed additional demands on correctional officers in their efforts to manage inmates. The primary cause for operating at lower staffing levels appeared to be the DOC's inability to retain correctional officers. In determining the need for correctional officers, the DOC relied on an informal process and had not developed written criteria to identify staffing needs. Recommendations are offered that emphasize reducing correctional officer turnover and developing written criteria to define correctional officer staffing needs. Additional information on Florida's correctional institutions and the response of the DOC to the staffing study are appended. 11 exhibits