Jail Employee Recruitment &
Retention Resource Center
Introduction
This website consolidates resources regarding jail employee recruitment and retention. Links to available resources, recommended actions, and checklists are included. Ideas from the field provide practical tips.
There are no secret strategies to improve recruitment and retention in the contemporary workforce. Insightful hard work is needed within each jail to develop effective and long-lasting solutions. Success requires analysis of the status quo, data collection, specifically designed strategies, involvement of employees, connections to the community and stakeholders, and a transparent and clear commitment by the organization’s leadership. No doubt funding is an issue, but absent the supporting data, internal persistence to improve the workplace environment and culture, money will not “solve” the current crisis.
Jails often rely on human resource functions (recruitment, applicant screening, background investigations, etc.) not under the control of jail leadership – either in another part of their organization, or within County government. Building partnership that emphasis the critical nature of staffing and safe jails are important to gaining the buy-in of these partners.
Often jails and support agencies are living in the world of “we’ve always done it this way.” This thinking needs to be challenged. Addressing recruitment and retention of jail employees is not solved by “old” thinking.
This site will be periodically updated with new information. For more information, contact CIPP at: susanmccampbell@cipp.org
This website consolidates resources regarding jail employee recruitment and retention. Links to available resources, recommended actions, and checklists are included. Ideas from the field provide practical tips.
There are no secret strategies to improve recruitment and retention in the contemporary workforce. Insightful hard work is needed within each jail to develop effective and long-lasting solutions. Success requires analysis of the status quo, data collection, specifically designed strategies, involvement of employees, connections to the community and stakeholders, and a transparent and clear commitment by the organization’s leadership. No doubt funding is an issue, but absent the supporting data, internal persistence to improve the workplace environment and culture, money will not “solve” the current crisis.
Jails often rely on human resource functions (recruitment, applicant screening, background investigations, etc.) not under the control of jail leadership – either in another part of their organization, or within County government. Building partnership that emphasis the critical nature of staffing and safe jails are important to gaining the buy-in of these partners.
Often jails and support agencies are living in the world of “we’ve always done it this way.” This thinking needs to be challenged. Addressing recruitment and retention of jail employees is not solved by “old” thinking.
This site will be periodically updated with new information. For more information, contact CIPP at: susanmccampbell@cipp.org
- Checklists to assess and improve jail employee recruitment and retention. These guides provide talking points for jails leaders in assessing what options might be available, and what current processes need to be challenged and changed.
- Recruitment & Retention Checklists:
- What Works! Ideas from the Field
- Recruitment Resources
- Retention Planning and Stay Interviews
- Improving internal jail culture required to retain quality employees
- Involvement of the jail’s community and stakeholders
- Jail Leadership Development and Core Competencies
- Resources
