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Staffing levels and officer-to-inmate ratios in corrections

5:00:28

ยท

108 sec

Council Member Diana Ayala inquires about staffing needs and current officer-to-inmate ratios in the corrections department. Benny Boscio Jr. provides details on the current staffing situation and challenges.

  • Boscio estimates a need for about 4,000 additional officers
  • Current ratio is approximately 5,000 officers to 7,000 inmates, spread across three daily shifts
  • Officer-to-inmate ratios vary by unit, ranging from 1:60 in dorm areas to 1:30 in other housing areas
  • More enhanced supervision housing may have two or three officers on the floor
Diana Ayala
5:00:28
Okay.
5:00:30
I I have seen that.
5:00:32
And in terms of the attrition, I know you guys have been going through it as well.
5:00:36
And again you know I think that there's a universe where we can have you know both things be true.
5:00:41
And how many officers would you say would need to be hired in order for the prison to be adequately supervised?
Benny Boscio Jr.
5:00:55
We believe about 4,000.
Diana Ayala
5:00:57
About 4,000?
5:00:58
What is the ratio from officer to inmate now?
Benny Boscio Jr.
5:01:03
Right now it's 7,000 approximately 7,000 in custody and we have about 5,000 officers around.
5:01:10
And remember all officers don't work on every tour, right.
5:01:14
You split that between three tours daily.
Diana Ayala
5:01:17
Three tours?
Benny Boscio Jr.
5:01:18
Three tours daily, yes.
5:01:19
Three eight and a half hour tours.
Diana Ayala
5:01:22
Okay.
Benny Boscio Jr.
5:01:23
So I know they talk about the ratio but understand that those 5,000 aren't at work at the same time.
Diana Ayala
5:01:28
Yeah.
5:01:29
No.
5:01:29
But I also wanna know, like, if if, if an officer is in a specific unit, how many officers are assigned per unit and for how how many inmates are they required to to supervise at
Lincoln Restler
5:01:40
one time?
Benny Boscio Jr.
5:01:40
It varies.
5:01:41
It could be one officer on the floor per 60 inmates.
5:01:46
That's in one of our dorm areas.
Diana Ayala
5:01:49
Okay.
5:01:51
Is that the same in the units where we have maybe more violent individuals or people that
Benny Boscio Jr.
5:01:56
No.
5:01:56
Those are dorms.
5:01:57
There will be maybe 30 inmates in another house area or Okay.
Diana Ayala
5:02:05
With one officer?
5:02:07
Yeah.
5:02:08
Alright.
Benny Boscio Jr.
5:02:08
Some of the more enhanced supervision housing may you may have two, three officers on the floor, but the way staffing levels are now, no.
Diana Ayala
5:02:16
What is the average salary starting?
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