Corrections Recruitment and Retention Research Paper

A career in corrections is not appealing to most people as it is thought to be boring, low paying and has minimal chances of advancement (Clear, Cole and Reisig, 2006). One incentive of this job is that it provides its personnel with and job security. There are two main goals in recruiting and retaining staff in corrections; attracting the right candidates for the job and motivating them once they are employed.

They manage offenders through imprisonment, rehabilitation and probation and parole. The main goal of corrections is to rehabilitate people and help them to return to normal lives. In this respect, correctional systems include adult and juvenile offenders, prison systems, probation, and parole and . In addition, correction facilities offer education programs, especially in juvenile prisons.

The recruitment of correctional officers is faced with several challenges as a result of retention of the qualified and experienced staff is of great importance. Successful corrections are able to deter criminals from future crimes, offer punishment for crimes committed, rehabilitate, and reintegrate the offender back into the community. Moreover, there are different types of correctional centres namely prisons, community services and others.

One challenge of recruitment of correctional officers is that this career is not viewed as an occupational field (Josi and Sechrest, 1998, p. 20). In recruiting corrections generally, use three tests for its applicants written test, psychological test and agility test (Freeman, 1999, p.311). Job satisfaction is very critical since satisfied workers have higher productivity, higher job retention, and lower rates of absenteeism. This paper seeks to examine ways of recruiting and retaining correctional officers.

Recruitment

Recruitment of Corrections officers is a daunting task, considering the low visibility of this career, and they need to attract qualified staff employed from all demographic groups (Josi and Sechrest, 1998, p. 20). Recruitment is done when there is a vacant position or when there are potential vacancies in the future. They should set an example to other private and government institutions by of employment to qualified ex-convicts. In addition, it is essential to have proper recruitment policies since they will result in a lower rate of personnel turnover, fewer disciplinary problems, higher morale, better community relations, and efficient and effective services (Josi and Sechrest, 1998, p. 20).

There are four important standards in recruitment of corrections officers; an equal opportunity plan, cooperative personnel recruitment agreements among correctional agencies, an affirmative action plan, and a Disability plan. The to assess the level of knowledge and the ability to use knowledge of the applicant, while the psychological test checks whether the applicant has the psychological makeup to handle the complexity of the job and the agility test measures physical capability.