NCJ Number
165492
Date Published
1991
Length
17 pages
Annotation
This chapter calls for a reconceptualization of jail organization and management as each relates to the improved use of jail personnel.
Abstract
Guynes (1988) reports that jail managers rank staff shortages as the second most serious problem in their jails, just behind crowding. In accounting for these shortages, the managers most often cite the "poor image of jail work" and "inadequate career incentives" as problems for staff recruitment and retention, respectively. Although recruitment and retention have been widely recognized as critical in local jails, the system response typically has focused on upgrading personnel, increasing salaries, and encouraging professional career development in corrections. A neglected concern that is integral in addressing both recruitment and retention issues involves personnel use. It is necessary to examine ways of maximizing the use of employee talents, skills, and abilities, thus enhancing both staff and program development. "Maximizing personnel utilization" involves a complex network of organizational structures and processes. What is needed is a concerted effort to transform the organization through strategic personnel use and staff development. This chapter outlines Greiner's (1967) six organizational principles as essential to this change strategy's success. The authors recommend more flexibility in organizational form; more active participation by jail managers in personnel issues; steadier communications between line staff, managers, and those engaged in developing personnel policies; and, overall, greater commitment to long-range planning. These changes would make the jail a less stressful place to work, resulting in reduced turnover and better staff-to-inmate relations.