Criminal Justice Work Force

But there are a few other explanations that can be given to explain the gap between the supply and demand of corrections officers within the state. For example, many prison wardens believe that their employees lack some of the skills and training that are required to perform the tasks prescribed by each position. Another common problem within the agency is the lack if experience. The agency shows that over 50% of the its employees have less then 5 years of service in the area of corrections.

Though the TDCJ does not foresee the need to increase the number of allowed positions within the organization they are haunted by the high attrition rates among corrections officers. The agency has devised several strategies that they hope will decrease the huge attrition percentages of the corrections officers. One of the first and most important policies that has been instituted by the TDCJ has increased Pre-Service Training hours for corrections officers from 160 hours to 200 hours, and including training in the areas of defensive tactics, chemical agents, firearms training, and use of force. TDCJ has also instituted a mentoring program in the on-the-job training areas of their recruitment program. The goal of the mentor is to acts basically as a coach for the new recruits and help them to adjust to the differences between life in the academy and the reality of life working in the institution

It is in my opinion that the agency is making great strides to fill the more then 2,000 positions that were still open in 2002 and that the policies by the agency will help lower the attrition rates of the corrections officer. Many of the other agencies here in the United States would do go to learn from these programs and incorporate these programs into their institutions.

References

U.S. Department of Labor Bureau of Labor Statistics

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