Americans working in the Department of Corrections (DOC) are overworked, understaffed and, simply put, underrepresented. Correction Officers (COs) and other DOC employees are often represented by unions that include a wide range of state employees. For example, in Kansas, KOSE — the union for employees in the Kansas Department of Corrections (KDOC) — represents workers such as administrative support staff, maintenance workers, counselors, teachers and more.
This union tactic of lumping state employees under the banner of one union is used in many more states than Kansas. This idea might work for employees with similar roles, but when you have educators under the same protection as correctional officers, it’s easy to see how workers’ needs will differ.
A good example of this is AFSCME Council 5 in Minnesota, which has more than 43,000 members across 87 counties, including a variety of workers such as museum staff, educators and DOC employees, to name a few.
Minnesota Department of Corrections employees have had their fair share of not feeling protected by their union, with six attacks on COs in one week, to prisons remaining on lockdown to try and avoid further attacks.
When you look deeper into the daily hurdles of life as a CO in Kansas, the problems quickly add up to more than just a “hurdle.” Being understaffed is a common experience many people and businesses share, and it’s a common theme in KCOC, as well.
But an understaffed museum and a corrections facility are two very different scenarios.
At a museum, you might see longer lines at the check-in booth or reduced operating hours to account for staffing shortages. At a corrections facility, staff shortages are far more serious, not to mention the amount of increased danger for each CO on duty.
The Lansing Correctional Facility, to cite one example, has had its fair share of dangerous occurrences because of understaffing.
One such incident involved a female CO who was attacked by an inmate, resulting in several broken bones in her face and the possibility of brain damage.
Another CO at Lansing stated that being understaffed is a frequent occurrence, often leaving just one officer in charge of an entire 125-inmate pod.
He explained this was the case during the attack, and the officer was only able to break free after two inmates intervened, subdued the attacker and used her radio to call for help.
These types of attacks and fights are a daily occurrence at Lansing. From a female CO ambushed in the bathroom by an inmate incarcerated for rape charges to another attack against a CO by an inmate with a shiv, these incidents highlight the dangers of understaffing in correctional facilities.
With safety concerns compounded by job stress, one might assume these workers are at least well-compensated. Unfortunately, that’s not the case. According to Indeed’s salary rating of Lansing Correctional Facility, the average hourly wage is $18.26 an hour, 13 percent below the national average.
The problems at the Lansing Correctional Facility echo across the Kansas Department of Corrections at Eldorado, Topeka and Hutchinson Correctional Facility, among others.
The Eldorado Correctional Facility has also experienced fights and riots due to staffing shortages. One riot alone cost the state $177,000 and forced Kansas Gov. Laura Kelly to declare an emergency at the facility.
In one year alone, four riots caused at least $414,000 in damages and the replacement of equipment. The solution was to have the already overworked staff, with a turnover rate of almost 54 percent, work 16-hour shifts for the remainder of the year.
At the Hutchinson Correctional Facility, one CO works a full 48-hour work week before clocking in at his second job. “I don’t go out and drive a Corvette. My wife doesn’t have a Cadillac Escalade, or anything like that,” said David Gorges, in an interview with the Kansas News Service.
Unfortunately, he needs the extra job because his paychecks from the Kansas Department of Corrections aren’t big enough.
In addition to being understaffed, underpaid and underrepresented, KDOC employees now face disciplinary threats for misgendering inmates. This is the case at the Topeka Correctional Facility, the state’s only women’s prison.
KDOC sent an email warning all staff that deliberately misgendering inmates could lead to disciplinary action, linking it to Prison Rape Elimination Act (PREA) standards. While the email does not name any inmates, the facility currently houses Thomas Lamb, also known as Michelle Renee Lamb, a convicted murderer serving three consecutive life sentences.
The Sentinel KSMO (Kansas/Missouri) reached out to KDOC for clarification about how misgendering would correlate with prison rape prevention but has not received a response.
Given all the hardships endured by KDOC employees, it’s small wonder the state prison system continues to struggle with staffing shortages. With 380 new officers needed and 440 job openings overall, KDOC employees remain overburdened, and the turnover rate will remain high.
