NCJ Number
65597
Date Published
1978
Length
77 pages
Annotation
THIS STUDY COMPARES PERSONNEL DATA OF THE TEXAS DEPARTMENT OF CORRECTIONS (TDC) WITH THAT OF OTHER STATE CORRECTIONAL AGENCIES, THE FEDERAL BUREAU OF PRISONS, AND LOCAL POLICE AGENCIES WITHIN TEXAS.
Abstract
DATA WERE COLLECTED USING QUESTIONNAIRES, PERSONAL INTERVIEWS, TELEPHONE CONTACTS, AND RETRIEVAL FROM COMPUTERIZED DATA BANKS AND EXISTING RESEARCH STUDIES. TO OBTAIN TDC COST DATA A QUESTIONNAIRE WAS PREPARED FOR RETRIEVAL OF CURRENT PERSONNEL DATA THAT WERE NOT AVAILABLE IN EXISTING TDC DATA BANKS. FOR INTRASTATE DATA A QUESTIONNAIRE WAS DESIGNED TO BE SENT TO LAW ENFORCEMENT AND LOCAL CORRECTIONS AGENCIES WITHIN TEXAS. A THIRD QUESTIONNAIRE WAS DESIGNED TO COLLECT INTERSTATE DATA; THIS WAS SENT TO 49 STATES, THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA, AND THE FEDERAL BUREAU OF PRISONS. ANALYSIS OF TDC COST DATA REVEALS THAT MOST TDC EMPLOYEES ARE IN THE CORRECTIONAL OFFICER II RANK AND REMAIN IN THE BEGINNING STEP OF THAT RANK. NET PAY FOR THESE OFFICERS AVERAGES $641.45 PER MONTH; HOUSING COSTS RANGE FROM $202 PER MONTH TO $278 PER MONTH; EACH EMPLOYEE UNIFORM COSTS $92.32. DATA FROM INTRASTATE LAW ENFORCEMENT AGENCIES SHOW THAT SALARY LEVELS ARE HIGHER THAN THOSE IN TDC; STARTING SALARIES RANGE FROM $848 TO $1103. ALSO, EDUCATIONAL REQUIREMENTS IN METROPOLITAN POLICE DEPARTMENTS ARE HIGHER THAN THOSE IN TDC. INTERSTATE DATA FROM THE 32 RESPONDING JURISDICTIONS WERE COMPARED IN AREAS OF SALARY LEVELS, EDUCATIONAL LEVELS, BENEFITS, METHOD OF DETERMINING SALARY LEVELS, INMATE/OFFICER RATIOS, HOMICIDE, ESCAPE, AND ASSAULT (BOTH ON OFFICERS AND INMATES). SALARIES, FOR EXAMPLE, RANGED FROM A LOW STARTING SALARY OF $566 PER MONTH TO $974 PER MONTH. THE TDC STARTING SALARY LEVEL RANKED 18TH AMONG THE 32 RESPONDING JURISDICTIONS. DATA TABLES ARE PROVIDED. APPENDIXES CONTAIN SAMPLE QUESTIONNAIRES AND COMPARATIVE BUDGET DATA.