EMPLOYEE RETENTION
John W. Johnson, Sr., Ph.D., CJM
Correctional jobs, as a public safety necessity, are nationally ubiquitous and understandably resilient against negative economic influences. For this reason, many have intentionally or accidentally chosen to embark on a career in managing humans accused of unacceptable social behaviors. Depending on whom you ask or where a detention center operates geographically, satisfaction with working in the correctional realm ranges from sufficient to a significant need for improvement.
Associated employee fringe benefits generally compare to public and private offerings in the communities serviced by the jails; however, even with the aforementioned outlined positives, jails are operating with concerning staff deficits. There are different reasons for this challenge, of which employees’ perspectives on their work environment, which is replete with at least the potential of adverse circumstances, are prominently noteworthy.
Harshness is synonymous with jail environments (Martin et al., 2012). This linkage was confirmed when Kinman et al. (2016) noted that correctional settings are designed and operated to ensure detainees understand the unacceptableness of their accused deeds. Punishment is but one of the intended goals of remanding human beings to confinement. Recently, more progressive forms of inmate management that advocate for humanizing the referenced settings have gained more acceptance. Even with this emergence, it is improbable that jail management’s isolation and controlling elements will dissipate soon. As noted, there was some intentionality in the design of correctional institutions, an ostensibly acceptable reality; however, the inadvertent harm being caused to the individuals responsible for managing intra-facility activities is untenable and requires additional resources and recourses for remedies.
Nohe and Sonntag (2014) confirmed that harsh jail settings influence correctional professionals’ emotional and psychological well-being, which, if unaddressed, will unfavorably impact decisions related to quitting. Consequently, jail administrators should evaluate the environments they manage through bifurcated lenses as they endeavor to retain staff. To be more precise, these jail leaders should develop policies and promote practices designed to maintain institutional order while understanding that their most important resource (humans) is required to achieve this goal. In a modern jail environment, failing to realize the fragility of staff’s mental well-being could be akin to perpetual punishment. This belief was put to the test when a once-in-a-generation pandemic took root.
…relationships with supportive supervisors influenced employees’ job satisfaction and organizational commitment, both antecedents to voluntary resignations.
The Impact of COVID-19 on Correctional Work
The coronavirus 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic impacted every facet of correctional work; consequently, when the emergent, urgent need for personal safety, was juxtaposed with the need for institutional security requirements, significant challenges presented themselves in the management of jails. Notably, social distancing proved difficult, and personal protective equipment implementation was restrictive (e.g., inmates were not allowed to wear N-95 masks due to metal strips included in the design). Nevertheless, correctional professionals were required to report and provide oversight of the accused as they mentally and physically dealt with environmental circumstances beyond their control that influenced their safety. Unsurprisingly, illnesses among the staff and inmate collectives resulted in increased staff absences, mandatory overtime, and in too many instances, loss of lives. Staff witnessing sicknesses and death prompted them to contemplate life’s most important factors (i.e., time spent with family and friends), which increased the resolve to give these ideals the appropriate attention.
After considering these noted emotional states of employees and coupling the same with the previously mentioned challenges of working in jails, administrators should be able to discern how the current circumstances within detention centers are adversely impacting employees physically and mentally. Therefore, immediate action plans to address employees’ mental health with sustainable designs must be implemented. Without the noted efforts, the “great resignation” attributable to COVID-19 and its influence on correctional work will continue beyond the pandemic. The good news is that practical options to counter mass employee departures are available. One such option is demonstrating to staff that they are supported. The formal theory associated with this concept is the social support theory.
Improving Jail Retention
Rook and Dooley (1985) identified social support as positive interactions or cooperative exchanges with individuals needing help. The utility of the theory, as it relates to a positive influence on personal regard, was confirmed when researchers found that social support promotes feelings of admiration and affirmation (Maddy et al., 2015). Gleaned data from studies of social support’s influences on mental health prompted a proposition that the construct positively influences employees’ mental well-being and workplace stress (Beutel et al., 2017; Feeney & Collins, 2015; Maddy et al., 2015). In the jail setting, interactions benefiting those in need of help could mean, in the short term, the difference between an employee reporting for their next assigned shift or calling out sick and, in the longer term, quitting the job. Additional scrutiny of the causes of voluntary resignations in jails occurred when Harvey (2014) and Hofman et al. (2016) examined supportive networks in these environments. These researchers established that relationships with supportive supervisors influenced employees’ job satisfaction and organizational commitment, both antecedents to voluntary resignations.
Job satisfaction is a precursor to positive work outcomes in a correctional environment (Leip & Stinchcomb, 2013; Matz et al., 2013). To a previous point, researchers have established that the level of satisfaction is influenced by social support (Dobrow Riza et al., 2018; Lambert et al., 2016).
Moreover, the overall impact on job stress in a correctional environment is contingent on workers’ relationships with superiors. Conceptually, if supervisors acknowledge, learn, and then employ the principles of social support, they will realize there are positive outcomes related to employee retention. This assertion is supported by research confirming that committed employees remain with correctional organizations (Lambert et al., 2015; Lambert et al., 2013; Lambert et al., 2017; Lambert et al., 2016).
Organizational commitment is a multidimensional construct requiring a certain amount of specificity when studying how different types of commitment can influence outcomes. Some common types of commitment are affective—psychologically connected; continuance—remaining with the employer is the best option; and normative—employees feeling that they owe the agency. With this information, it is strongly suggested that jail leaders develop more precise strategies to increase employees’ psychological connections with their respective agencies. Some common sense approaches to achieve this end are to promote and provide adequate rewards and acknowledgment for exceptional professional performances. Likewise, staff must trust that in instances where corrective actions are necessary, they are swift, just, and equitable. Leadership exhibited in the referenced manners could diminish role ambiguity and promote support and one of its byproducts, commitment (Lambert et al., 2015).
Additional benefits of improving commitment among employees are a better understanding of the jail’s mission and the reduced likelihood of officer burnout. If managers do not establish psychological connections, correctional officers will be compelled to deal with the hazards of corrective work unaided, which is a task that proves insurmountable to many and prompts them to leave the profession (Gould et al., 2013).
Another ancillary advantage of a supportive environment is that when officers recognize their well-being matters, they are more likely to provide similar regard to inmates. Positive and supportive officer-inmate relationships increase the possibility that rehabilitative and reentry programming will reduce recidivism (Cochran, 2014). Low recidivism rates help to regulate the average daily population of jails, which could have profound, helpful effects on jail staff’s stress levels (Listwan et al., 2011). Not having to deal with a pervasive stressor associated with correctional work (managing burgeoning populations) could cause an atmosphere conducive to endorsing the nuances of cultivating positive and productive relationships, an effective way to decrease employee departures.
In essence, leaders in a jail environment are wading through the proverbial troubled waters of retaining staff, an essential resource to successfully manage inmate populations. In the past, several factors associated with jail work (i.e., job availability and stability) overshadowed the inherent perils of the career. However, dealing with the requisites of managing inmates and facing the uncertainties of the COVID-19 pandemic has proved impossible for far too many jail employees. Consequently, leaders must be more intentional about exhibiting support for their staff.
Conclusion
This article introduced an academic theory, social support. The mention of this concept is but an identification of a proven belief that humans benefit when they receive support from other humans. Building on this premise, it should stand to reason that adopting the process of supporting others as they perform corrective work could help to address the current issue of employee turnover within jails.
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Dr. John Johnson, Sr., Ph.D., CJM, CPM, is an Assistant Director employed by the Miami Dade Corrections and Rehabilitation. He is also a Past President of the American Jail Association and a member of the JMCC. He can be contacted about the article’s content at (305) 790-4632 or John.Johnson@miamidade.gov.
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