The Future is Now: Recruiting and Retaining, and Developing the 21st Century Jail Workforce


Project Goal/Description:

Virtually every aspect of a jail’s operations—including the ability to fulfill its mission—ultimately depends on the availability of qualified staff. As a result, it is not surprising to find that, regardless of jail size or location, its workforce has been identified as the priority issue of sheriffs and jail administrators throughout the country. According to those who lead and manage jails, recruiting, retaining, and developing employees are more critical challenges than almost any other issue.

In response to this concern, the Center for Innovative Public Policies, Inc. (CIPP) has been awarded a Cooperative Agreement from the U. S. Dept. of Justice, Office of Justice Programs, Bureau of Justice Assistance (BJA) effective October 1, 2007 to work with jail leaders to identify promising practices to address jail workforce issues.

The following will be among the project’s primary implementation strategies:

  • Assemble a national advisory group of sheriffs and jail administrators to guide and assist with project activities;

  • Conduct a comprehensive literature review of promising recruitment, retention, and succession planning strategies used by jails, prisons, and other public as well as private sector organizations; and

  • Collect real-time information via surveys and follow-up interviews with both recently-employed jail personnel and those with five or more years of experience.

These strategies will result in a user-friendly workbook-style toolkit designed to enhance the ability of sheriffs and jail administrators to effectively recruit and retain qualified employees, as well as proactively develop the internal leadership succession plans necessary to meet 21st century jail challenges.
 

Project Status as of May 1, 2008:

  • Members of the national advisory panel agreed to serve, and their first meeting was held in January 2008.

  • Two national surveys – one for jail line staff and one for jail administrators – were available to the field from April 1 – 25, 2008.

  • Notifications to the field were provided through mailing notices to all jails in the United States, and using the American Jail Association’s email list. The national advisory panel and professional organizations also helped spread the word.

  • The literature review is completed.

  • Two focus groups will be held to get input from the field during the American Jail Association’s conference in Sacramento. These two sessions will be held on Tuesday, May 6th from 8:30 - 10:00 and from 2:15 - 3:45 in Rooms 304 and 305 of the Convention Center in Sacramento.

For more helpful information see:
 

Jeanne B. Stinchcomb and Susan W. McCampbell (2008), Jail Leaders Speak: Current and Future Challenges to Jail Operations and Administration: A Summary Report to the Bureau of Justice Assistance, Center for Innovative Public Policies, Inc., Naples, Florida. http://www.cipp.org/pdf/FocusGroupReport.pdf 

Jeanne B. Stinchcomb, Susan W. McCampbell, Elizabeth P. Layman, FutureForce: A Guide to Building the 21st Century Community Corrections Workplace, U. S. Department of Justice, National Institute of Corrections. http://nicic.org/Downloads/PDF/Library/021799.pdf

Susan W. McCampbell and Paula N. Rubin, “Effectively Managing a Multi-Generational Workforce in Corrections: A Training Curriculum”, National Institute of Corrections, March 2004. http://www.nicic.org/Library/019950


For more project information, or to contribute a promising practice for recruitment, retention, succession planning and/or leadership development, contact Susan McCampbell @ cippinc@aol.com 


Check back at CIPP’s website for the data from the two national surveys!
 

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