|
|
| Doors not revolving for prison officers |
| By Tim Carpenter - The Capital-Journal |
| Published: 02/23/2009 |
|
Former retail store manager Tory Carson stepped out of her element by procuring a job at the Topeka Correctional Facility. It was a career transformation she doesn't regret. Still, she is cautious about recommending her path to others, even after five years at the East Topeka facility. Like Tory Carson at the Topeka Correctional Facility, officers at state prisons are opting not to change jobs. Click Thumbnails to View "Things can go sour at any time," Carson said from her post at the hub of a dormitory for women inmates. "You can usually feel it before it happens." Carson's reluctance to return to retail sales reflects a trend in the Kansas Department of Corrections. Turnover at the eight main KDOC facilities plummeted in the second half of 2008, and budget cuts prompting facility consolidation likely will keep attrition down through this year. Instead of the 33.9 percent turnover rate from July 2007 to June 2008 at El Dorado Correctional Facility, the rate was 9.2 percent from July to December. Change elsewhere: Topeka, 11 percent, down from 22.5 percent; Lansing Correctional Facility, 10.4 percent, down from 23.3 percent; and Hutchinson Correctional Facility, 9.7 percent, down from 19.3 percent. Corrections Secretary Roger Werholtz said modest improvement in starting salaries a couple of years ago slowed the revolving door for the state prison system's 3,200 uniformed and nonuniformed staff members. The savage recession is primarily responsible for delivering greater stability in KDOC's personnel division, he said. "It changed with the bad economy," Werholtz said. "It changed markedly." Dick Koerner, warden at the Topeka prison, said the inmate population would surge and recede over the years. But the judicial system will always find reason to simultaneously incarcerate thousands of men and women, he said, and that translates into job security for correctional workers. "People think there is more stability to state government when thousands are being laid off elsewhere," Koerner said. "People have bills to pay." Topeka correctional worker Bernard Hahn, of Lyndon, has worked two years at the Topeka prison for women. He said he has no plans to seek a new vocation, especially with the state's unemployment rate on the rise. "I like it or I wouldn't still be here," he said. "I'm still learning." Koerner said the struggle to maintain well-trained, experienced crews in each prison would always be a challenge. Salaries within KDOC trail state prison systems in the region, he said. New employees are generally assigned to less-desirable night shifts. And, of course, the institutions are by definition full of folks who were a magnet for serious trouble. The Topeka prison has 580 inmates ranging from short-timers nailed for drug offenses to murderers who will never know freedom again. Carson, of Topeka, wears a game face at work that tamps down sentimentality and radiates command of her surroundings. Inattentiveness on the job is a security risk, not just an efficiency problem. She also must be savvy enough to step out of that skin at quitting time each day. The somber guard routine wouldn't play well at home. "This is a very hard career," she said. "It's not for everyone." Read more. If link has expired, check the website of the article's original news source. |
Comments:
Login to let us know what you think
MARKETPLACE search vendors | advanced search
IN CASE YOU MISSED IT
|
Waco has developed a reputation for a rocket-docket in patent litigation. It’s an important choice to find the right lawyer in Waco for your important patent litigation matter. When people in the know make the hire, they hire Dunnam & Dunnam. Lawyers that are competent, hard-working, focused are a rare find. Few attorneys have the commitment to quality, collegiality, and loyalty of the Waco car wreck attorney, You can search for attorneys with loyalty, leadership, accountability. These attorneys show financial generosity and a sense of fairness to their colleagues. For nearly 100 years, people in Waco have hired the firm when the results matter. at Dunnam & Dunnam are among the most respected in the Central Texas area. They have the experience in trials and mediations to guide your case in the right way. There are few important decisions at the outset of the case that can turn the tide in your favor. Choosing the right lawyer is one of them.