Friday, October 25, 2013

Polunsky unit short 130 COs

An announcement of a TDCJ jobs fair in Polk County included this tidbit:
Approximately 130 correctional officer positions are available to be filled at the Polunsky Unit, a maximum security prison located in Livingston.

“We’re trying to get as many applicants as we can who are qualified,” said Brown.

Basic qualifications needed to be screened for employment include a high school diploma or GED, no felony charges and copies of a Social Security card and driver’s license.

The salary of a correctional officer ranges from $2,435 to $3,240 per month. Starting salary is increased for individuals with a Bachelors degree or two years active military service.
That's a lot of jobs to fill in tiny Livingston, whose population according to the 2010 Census was 5,335. At that salary level, it's hard to imagine many folks moving to rural Southeast Texas.

7 comments:

Anonymous said...

The agency director was rewarded with a 40% payraise for downplaying the staffing issues with the agency. The prison in Livingston houses some extremely serious violent inmates and is also home to the Texas Deathrow.

Grits is right about the rural population. There is not enough people in the rural areas to properly staff these prisons that are mainly located in rural areas of Texas. Without proper pay compensation, no one is going to relocate to rural Texas to work in these prisons.

Dangerously understaff prisons are breeding grounds for gang activity. If the state doesn't properly police the prisons, inmates will seek their own means of security which usually involve joining prison gangs. Violent, understaffed prisons are not a good models for reforming inmates. Most criminals will be released from prison. What happens while inmates are in prison will determine if they are going to successfully re-enter into society. This is your tax dollars at work. Tough prisons are stupid prisons and cost taxpayers in the long run.

Anonymous said...

But, with the military carrot dangling in front of the thousands of vets' and gypsy cops, you can bet that they fill these slots within the year.

Then, when they try to strong arm (bully) a seasoned gladiator or the wrong newboot, just wait n see how fast they get shanked, or worse.

Then, the bottom will fall out as they flee Units' in droves due to threats. Those staying will be the ones that dawn masks.

Anonymous said...

Anytime I hear of a job opening, I always ask / think - Why did the previous employee leave?

When there are 130, I'm forced to ask, who / whom made them all leave?

Anonymous said...

The one thing I've learned in all my years with the agency is, they'll make the numbers turn out in their favor. What they'll do is remove 130 positions at that unit and then they'll be 100% manned. Isn't that what they did a few years ago.

Anonymous said...

How does a GED, no feloney, and a SS# & drivers license qualify you?
That's part of the problem, they are hiring right out of high school and also scraping the bottom of the barrell to hire for TDCJ. The training is sub standard at best and you don't have to be psycically fit to work there.
They should put them through some real training, such as APD goes through and then be periodically tested for fitness etc. IMHO

Anonymous said...

To Anon 06:26:00 that is not going to happen because it requires increasing the pay to properly recruit and increasing training cost. The state has never been proactive until it cost them.

TDCJ is way too big and should take a serious look at the dangers that are being created inside their under secured prisons. Many inmates go into prison bad and come out worse after being forced to join a gang for protection or getting raped. PREA is going to cost TDCJ billions in litigation. TDCJ has developed an assembly line hiring process where employee come in and leave for other jobs. Until they start retaining experienced officers they will be subject to liability.

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