(Wisconsin) Correctional officer shortages, while still a pressing issue, are reducing thanks to a variety of factors. In recent years, state prisons have seen vacancy rates as high as 35% with specific facilities seeing greater than 40% vacancy rates.
This, in turn, puts more on the shoulders of officers who continue to do their job in an understaffed environment. Some of the state employees were tasked with working long periods of time without any breaks.
Now, those working for the Department of Corrections are seeing hourly pay increases with additional incentives for medium security, maximum security, and high-vacancy prison buildings.
Thanks to those changes, the vacancy average dropped to 25% by February of 2024 with more graduating officers ready to fill in more available roles.
More information about the situation can be found at www.doc.wi.gov.
