NCJ Number
84883
Date Published
Unknown
Length
92 pages
Annotation
This survey assessed levels of correctional employee attrition and identified management and situational factors associated with higher and lower levels of attrition.
Abstract
The survey requested both descriptive data on levels of attrition and information on operations and management (e.g., security levels, personnel procedures) and was distributed to over 600 institutions, representing all adult posttrial felony correctional institutions; 179 responses were used in the statistical analysis. Results indicate that for 100 supervisory correctional officers over a 1-year period, 5-6 will leave their jobs due to promotion, while about 6 will leave corrections altogether. Of five types of correctional employees studied, State correctional administrators had the highest attrition rate, followed by support services, correctional officers, supervisory correctional officers, and program employees. Among the factors affecting attrition were benefits and perceived benefits, supervisory style, management practices and job content, and employee representation. Recommendations urge management planning to reduce attrition, to develop data gathering and assessment procedures on attrition, to provide adequate salaries of at least 1.5 times the State per capita income, to allow employee participation in post and shift selection, to establish employee relations programs, and to improve specific job designs by removing features associated with attrition. Incentive pay increments, career ladder development, standard administration of work hours and wages, and employee training programs are additional recommendations. Tabular data and about 140 references are given.