Road staff vs. Detention staff Salary

[Borch]

I am working for a Dept. that is looking at different strategies to combat turnover among detention staff. One of the things being considered is to give detention staff parity in salary with road deputies and the admin has asked a few of us what we think about this. I have not answered yet but have formed a pretty strong opinion on the matter, but I am curious if there are other dept.'s that have tried this or and how did it turn out?

[Beans]

I know our jail staff makes about $10,000 less than we do. I really don't have an opinion on this matter. Maybe some of our verified C/O's will answer this one.
We both faces dangers.

[me again]

Correctional officers should have pay parity with road officers for the following reasons:

• It's not our money, so what does it matter??? Sometimes people act like the money is coming out of their own pocket.
• Pay correctional officers parity so that it will give them an incentive to stay in corrections and to make it a career!!! Reward them as much as road officers are rewarded!!!

Both are tough jobs. Corrections is probably a harder job, but law enforcement is more of a high liability area, both politically as well as financially. Either way, pay parity is a reasonable idea.

[iso607]

At the agency I use to work at the salary for the Jail staff and the Road Deputies were the same. It did not help with the turn over problem simply because many of the Deputies working the jail wanted to go to the road and there was not any positions available. Therefore they would go to work at another agency when the chance came along. I've worked both areas, starting in a prison then going on the road. To me both areas are similar, if you don't like what your doing you will not stay, regardless of pay.

[Borch]

Detention Deputies going to the road is not the problem. We're losing Det. Dep.'s for every reason imaginable except that one. The biggest complaint seems to be the 12 hr rotating day/night shift schedule that we work but I think that's a cop out. My personal opinion is we're losing people because of the disparity between the image of the road deputy and the detention deputy. It seems that no matter what we detention staff do we're viewed as second class citizens compared to the road side of the house. When we look at the staff that have quit in the past year 75% have been young and educated in a LAWE or CJ field. In other words, the staff that most would expect would be staying and making a career are bailing out. What's that tell you?

My opinion on the parity issue is that parity alone is not a solution to the problem, but if it were coupled with higher minimum hiring requirements and a possible revision in the shift rotation, maybe create two permanent shifts, one for days and one for nights and then have two rotating day/night shifts maybe we could attract the career oriented, professional people we are looking for.

[Big Al]

IMO, all should be sworn deputies with equal pay and allow lateral transfers to postions by bidding on them.

[Iron Man]

..

[JohnnyReb]

I work at a county jail in Southern Maryland. We start out at 37,600 while patrol starts out at 40,000 (and change). We have people leaving because they want to be a cop. Some leave taking 10k paycuts to be a patrol officer at other departments.

Bottom line is, corrections is a stepping stone job for most and no matter what you pay nothing will change this.

Maybe a contract saying they will work x amount of years at the department would help? Good pay is important so you can have qualifed, quality staff. If you pay shit, that's what you will get.

[Borch]

I don't believe that corrections is a stepping stone job. Yes, there are those that view it as such, but there are a great many of us that truly have no desire to go to the road and truly enjoy the jail setting. I know for damn sure that if I were on the road I'd go nuts, 12 hr night shifts all alone checking doors on the town hall in some tiny ass townshhip out in the middle of BFE in January. NO way pal, I'll stick with my nice warm jail house and my 200 detainees for company.

[Terminator]

Corrections is probably a harder job,...

I disagree, strongly. And I have done both.

[countybear]

Correctional officers should have pay parity with road officers for the following reasons:

• It's not our money, so what does it matter??? Sometimes people act like the money is coming out of their own pocket.
• Pay correctional officers parity so that it will give them an incentive to stay in corrections and to make it a career!!! Reward them as much as road officers are rewarded!!!

Both are tough jobs. Corrections is probably a harder job, but law enforcement is more of a high liability area, both politically as well as financially. Either way, pay parity is a reasonable idea.

If its not your money, who's is it then??

Borch, please submit information for verification as a C/O via PM 121Traffic at your earliest convenience. We have a SUPERB verified C/O section, which I am sure you'll enjoy.

[smokey703]

I don't believe that corrections is a stepping stone job. Yes, there are those that view it as such, but there are a great many of us that truly have no desire to go to the road and truly enjoy the jail setting. I know for damn sure that if I were on the road I'd go nuts, 12 hr night shifts all alone checking doors on the town hall in some tiny ass townshhip out in the middle of BFE in January. NO way pal, I'll stick with my nice warm jail house and my 200 detainees for company.

Different strokes for different folks, but you would rather check cell doors and count heads than drive up to the town hall and get out of a crown vic., which is just as warm as the jail house, turn a knob, push on a window, and walk back to a crown vic., which is still just as warm as the jail house, then drive off and go wherever and do whatever.

[me again]

Both are tough jobs. Corrections is probably a harder job, but law enforcement is more of a high liability area, both politically as well as financially.

I disagree, strongly. And I have done both.

There is no way in hell that I could work "locked up" in a facility with a bunch of inmates. For me, that would be a tougher job. But hey, some people have a knack for it. More power to them.

If its not your money, who's is it then??

Some people act like giving a raise to an officer is going to come directly out of their bank account. It's not. It comes from the county or city government, which collects annual revenue from property taxes, which is minimal (in the big picture). And if you're only a renter, then you're not paying anything at all.

(I'm not referring to sales tax and state issues -- just local issues).

[jdrew]

I am currently a deputy in a KY county jail (not affiliated with any agency other than ourselves). We house 525 + or - a few and we are paid below what road officers/deputies are paid. Our salary is $22,000 a year after the 90 probation period. We are sworn and yet to even get hazzard pay, but the other agencies get it.

The new jail I will be going to (an Indiana sheriff's office jail) the base salary is $33,200, (and will be a civilian) which is less than the road units, but not by such a large gap that it is in KY.

Both jobs have advantages and disadvantages. On the street, you have to decide good guy, good guy, good guy, bad guy (unless you work 3rd shift lol). Where as I get bad guy, bad guy, bad guy 24/7.

I think both jobs should be paid more since offenders are becoming more violent. I will be happy with my $11,000 a year raise and working for a much better facility.

Bottom line: I feel they should both be paid equal. But you have to have the same hiring process for both jobs. It seems like C/O jobs are a little easier for some knuckleheads to slip through. My hiring process for the Sheriff's Dept has been tough and has taken 10 months so far. Nothing like the KY job I got when I was hired within a week of dropping off my application. Maybe that's why where I'm at now has such a high turnover rate...

[HardNoseBull]

Currently my agency starts out at 50K a year and your at 66 or 70k in 5 years, plus shift diff ,stats and OT. Most city police agencies in the area make identical money. Bottom line is corrections and policing are equal partners in the CJ system. You can have all Road cops you want, but if they have no where to dump the trash then their hooped. You can have a thousand jails filled with C.O's, but if there are no police officers to get them the bad guys then they are hooped. Both Face equal amount of dangers every day, in California they average10 assualts on staff per day. I persoanally get tired of the bullshit attitude of some police officers or some corrections officers. One is no more important than the other and if one feels that they are, then they should really check there ego. I know of police officers that work in butfuck no where and get 10 calls a year and making 70k. I know of CO's that work in prisons where they have ERT called out 10-15 times a month and they make 70k, and I know of some C.O's who dont do anything, and some PO's that are run off there feet.Do we have to make the same, it would be nice but no, it should be in the ball park though. I think most of you guys in the states, get bullshit wages and you should all get a raise. Anyways just my opinion guys.

[glock32]

I've done both and corrections is not a tougher job by any means. Its really not hard to sit there and babysit grown men.

[keith720]

I've also do both jobs, and I'm not about to get in a Pissing match over which is the hardest. In Wisconsin, to be a cop, you need at least 2 years of College and attend a 520 hour academy. To be a C.O., you need an HSED and attend a 240 hour academy. For County C.O.'s, the training is even less. Consequently, the pay for C.O.'s is less, as are the qualifications and training.

And, Glock 32, your statement is a slap in the face to every C.O. out there. As I said, I still do both, and there are times in the joint when I'm busy the whole shift, while there are times on the road I just drive around, and the hardest part of the job is deciding where to stop for coffee.

[MacLean]

I've done both and corrections is not a tougher job by any means. Its really not hard to sit there and babysit grown men.

Your first post is also an insult to Corrections Officers, just like your second.

Check your PMs.

[countybear]

I've done both and corrections is not a tougher job by any means. Its really not hard to sit there and babysit grown men.

Any job is the sum total of what you put into it. Given your opinion, I'd say your work ethic and attitude in corrections was substandard. I hope for the sake of your co-workers that it is better on the street.

On topic: I believe salaries should be at least in proximity of one another for correctional officers and street cops. If for no other reason, the attraction and retention of more qualified candidates.

[keith720]

Any job is the sum total of what you put into it. Given your opinion, I'd say your work ethic and attitude in corrections was substandard. I hope for the sake of your co-workers that it is better on the street.

BINGO!!! You hit the nail on the head!