BALTIMORE — In a 120 page report, the union representing corrections workers in Maryland outlines just how understaffed the department is.
AFSCME, the union for correction officers says the state is short about 3,400 workers.
Saying the lack of people is making the workplace even more dangerous.
“Currently violence levels at every institution are significantly high and that is a direct result of staffing shortages we are addressing here today," said Patrick Moran with AFSCME.
In Baltimore City the lack of staff gave inmates the opportunity to attack an officer.
“Last year we had one officer assigned where there should’ve been two and the officer was assaulted brutally and is still out and missing an eye," said Brittany Cozart, a corrections officer.
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The report broke down each facility and how many positions it needed to add to run safely.
Jessup led the way needing more than 100 people to meet safety standards.
“We’ve repeatedly said that we’re understaffed and the previous administration repeatedly ignored our concerns and tried to tell us it wasn’t," said Rownite Stevens, a corrections sergeant.
The union says sign on bonuses and pay increases have been offered to try and draw new staff in but so far it hasn’t resulted in filling the gaps.
“We’re hoping that this years report represents a turning point in addressing the dangerous understaffing in our state facilities," said Moran.
We reached out to the Department of Corrections for a statement on the report and here's what they said:
The Moore-Miller administration has seen an alarming number of vacancies and staff shortages across the state upon entering the administration in January. Since day one, Governor Moore has been very clear that it is a major priority of his to fill these roles and get the state government back to firing on all cylinders. DPSCS is committed to closing the gap, and appreciates the Governor’s commitment to this important issue.
Under Secretary Scruggs’s leadership, the Department has hired an additional 404 new employees across all employee types, a 62% rise in hires compared to the same time last year. The department has also participated in 44 different hiring events across the state, undertaken a massive social media and commercially advertised recruitment effort, and dedicated existing staff to support hiring efforts.
Enhanced pay, added bonuses, and increased retirement retention incentives has proven effective in helping to recruit new staff. The department has also streamlined hiring processes to help fill positions more quickly. We are also working with the union on the department’s staffing analysis, which is currently underway.
Of note—despite the pandemic and the struggle almost every law enforcement and correctional agency in the nation has faced in hiring, the department's efforts have resulted in DPSCS hiring more than 2,000 correctional professionals since January 2021.
We are strongly committed to working with the Moore-Miller administration to expand our ongoing and concerted effort to meet staffing capacity.
