HD2 - Staffing of Virginia's Adult Prisons and Field Units

  • Published: 1987
  • Author: Joint Legislative Audit and Review Commission

Executive Summary:
Nonsecurity staffing in Virginia's prisons is generally adequate. There are, however, pockets of over- and under-staffing which need to be addressed by the Department of Corrections. Further, there are shortages of both security and nonsecurity staffing in some adult field units. A total of 108 new positions are recommended over FY 1985 levels: 31 in major institutions and 77 in field units.

This report focuses principally on nonsecurity staffing in the Department of Correction's adult institutions. Nonsecurity staff provide the support services needed to maintain and operate the institutions, as well as provide services and programs to inmates. The report also addresses both security and nonsecurity staffing in DOC's 26 field units.

In the 1980's, the efficiency of staffing Virginia's prisons became an issue of increasing concern. Several studies indicated that Virginia's institutions had higher staffing levels than other states' systems. As a result, the General Assembly adopted provisions in the Appropriations Act directing a study of DOC's staffing and operations. Since 1984, JLARC has produced a series of reports on these subjects.

Within the last decade, Virginia's correctional system has experienced tremendous growth in its adult inmate population. The inmate population increased 70 percent, from 6,029 inmates in 1972 to 10,254 by June 1985. In June 1986 the inmate population was 10,902. By June 1990 DOC estimates the inmate population will be 12,334. DOC has responded to the inmate increases by opening six new correctional institutions since 1980. These new facilities have resulted in a corresponding increase in the level of DOC staffing.

Systemwide staffing increases of security and nonsecurity positions follow similar patterns. Over a six-year period, FY 1980 - FY 1985, nonsecurity positions increased by 32.2 percent, while the security positions increased at a slightly higher rate of 33.7 percent. In FY 1985, however, while established security and nonsecurity positions were both reduced, nonsecurity positions received proportionately larger cuts, especially in the treatment program area.

In FY 1985, DOC was authorized 8,160 positions. Of that total, 5,324 were assigned to the 15 major institutions, two reception centers, and 26 field units. Of these, 3,942.5 were security positions and 1,381.5 were nonsecurity positions.

DOC's system of 15 major institutions and two reception and classification centers provide housing for most of the State's adult felons. Unlike many other states, Virginia's major institutions are relatively small. A typical institution houses from 300-600 inmates. The largest major institution in the system is the State Penitentiary, which houses over 850 inmates and employs over 500 personnel.

Virginia's 26 field units housed an average daily population of 2,544 prisoners during FY 1985, an average of 98 per field unit. The number of security personnel assigned to a field unit averages about 25 positions, and the number of nonsecurity staff averages about six positions. As a result of low nonsecurity staffing, rehabilitative and educational programs in field units are limited.

DOC's major institutions and field units had 1,203.5 filled nonsecurity positions during FY 1985. Of that total, 1,057 (88 percent) were assigned to the major institutions, and 146.5 (12 percent) were assigned to the field units. Nonsecurity staff comprise 26 percent of total staff assigned to the major institutions. In field units, 17 percent of total staff are nonsecurity positions.

JLARC staff used a number of methodologies to assess the adequacy of staffing in the institutions. These methods included interviews with staff at the major institutions and field units, a regression analysis on staffing variation, a review of workload standards, a comparison of staffing levels among facilities, a review of overtime usage, and a review of DOC documents on staffing.

The report also builds on some of the findings and research from other JLARC corrections studies, during which JLARC staff visited all DOC institutions, interviewed all wardens and top management officials, and collected extensive data on all institutions.

Nonsecurity Staffing Needs in DOC's Major Institutions (pp. 11-104)

Overall, the number of nonsecurity positions in major institutions seems generally adequate (Table A). However, three areas, treatment programs, maintenance, and support services were determined to be understaffed. DOC also has no systematic method for assessing the need for additional nonsecurity personnel. As a result, some variation in the levels of staff exists among institutions.

To determine specific institutional staffing needs, nonsecurity staff were divided into nine functional areas. Categorizing activities into separate functional areas provides a means for reviewing staffing along functional lines and for identifying variation among institutions. The nine functional areas defined in the analysis are also identified in Table A.

Maintenance

Maintaining the physical plant of Virginia's correctional institutions is a primary function of institutional personnel. Sixteen percent of institutions' nonsecurity staff are maintenance personnel, including plumbers, electricians, power plant operators, and other skilled and non-skilled personnel who maintain and operate institutional equipment.

The overall level of maintenance staffing at the major institutions was somewhat inadequate. Adjustments were recommended at individual institutions due to staffing variations and individual institutional needs. DOC should also supplement maintenance staff through expanded use of inmate labor.

Food Services

Food services is a primary institutional function that must be carried out three times per day, 365 days a year. During FY 1985, DOC's inmate population of 9,700 was served approximately eight million meals. Overall, DOC's major institutions are adequately staffed for this mission.

Special food services arrangements, such as the delivery of meals to inmates' cells, require additional staffing that would not otherwise be needed. Consequently, staffing efficiencies would be possible if one central dining area were used at Mecklenburg, Staunton, and VCCW and if food deliveries were reduced at the Penitentiary and Powhatan.

Accounting

The accounting function has been decentralized from DOC's central office to the major institutions. The institutions' accounting departments prepare their budgets and payrolls, monitor the execution of approved budgets, and project future budgetary needs. The accounting departments also maintain inmate and other accounts and reconcile their assets with State reports.

Overall, staffing levels in the accounting area appear to be appropriate. However, an additional accounting position is needed for VCCW, and one position at the Powhatan Complex should be dropped.

Personnel

Complete responsibility for all personnel transactions was originally borne by DOC's central personnel unit. This responsibility was partially decentralized to the major institutions beginning in 1981 with a pilot project at Southampton Correctional Center. Most of the major institutions now process their personnel transactions and maintain their employee files.

Staffing is generally adequate in the personnel area. However, an increase of one position each at Buckingham, Nottoway, and the Penitentiary is recommended.

Medical Services

Medical services account for 10 percent of all nonsecurity personnel. For analytic purposes, JLARC staff divided the medical services area into three separate sub-areas: nurse services, physician services, and dental services.

Medical staffing levels in general were considered to be appropriate, although adjustments have been recommended for specific institutions. The analysis of physician services, however, suggests that contracted services (privatization) may be more cost effective than employing full-time or part-time physicians at the major institutions.

Many physicians and dentists are allowed to work fewer hours than they are paid for. This is contrary to State personnel policy which requires employees to work a 40-hour work week. DOC has allowed this practice because it is allegedly difficult to attract qualified physicians to work in prisons. The Department of Corrections should cease this practice and comply with State personnel policy.

Treatment Programs

Given the cuts in nonsecurity positions in 1984, recent growth in the inmate population, and the revision in DOC's mission statement, more emphasis needs to be focused on treatment personnel.

While all adult institutions have some form of treatment program, the types and levels of services they provide vary among facilities. The types of treatment services provided by DOC personnel can be organized into three categories: (1) a unified treatment program incorporating case management, counseling, and group activities; (2) psychological testing, evaluation, and therapy; and (3) recreational activities and programs.

Treatment staffing levels generally need to be increased. According to standards developed by the American Corrections Association, DOC's major institutions· have fewer counselors than suggested. DOC should increase the number of counselors by 18 positions in eight institutions. In addition, DOC should:

• abolish lay counselor positions in three facilities;

• assess what portion of the inmate population has counseling and therapeutic needs; and

• establish six additional recreation positions in six institutions.

Administration

Major institutions, because of the number of employees, the size of their annual budgets, and the multiplicity of services they provide, have become complex administrative organizations. The warden, the key actor in the administrative framework of the institution, is assisted by several administrators whose responsibilities range from security administration to maintaining inmate records.

In general, the administrative function within the major institutions is appropriately staffed. Two assistant warden positions (one each for Deerfield and Marion) and two operations officer positions (for Powhatan and St. Brides) are the only recommended staffing additions. The human resources developer position at the Penitentiary should be abolished. These staffing recommendations would result in a net increase of three administrative positions for the major institutions.

Support Services

Most correctional institutions have personnel who are responsible for performing a variety of support duties. The four sub-functions included in the support functional area were: laundry services, commissary operation, warehouse receiving and storage, and switchboard operation. A total of 11 additional positions are recommended in the areas of laundry, warehouse receiving and storage, and switchboard coverage.

Clerical

Generally the major institutions were consistently staffed with clerks, although additional staff are recommended for three institutions: James River, Powhatan, and VCCW.

Systemwide Patterns and Issues (pp. 135-145)

Patterns of non-security staffing indicate that the number of staff in an institution are largely related to the size of the institution's inmate population and the classification of those inmates.

The review of the appropriateness of nonsecurity staff in DOC's major institutions revealed three issues common to all facilities: personnel misclassification, overtime utilization, and inmate labor.

Misclassification

Virginia's employee classification plan attempts to unify positions with similar duties and responsibilities into job classes. ·Misclassification occurs when an employee spends the majority of his/her time performing duties that are not included in the job description. Misclassification can result in inequitable compensation for work performed and, in the case of DOC, make the ratio of security staff to inmates appear higher than it actually is.

Misclassification of employees involved both nonsecurity personnel who performed duties of other nonsecurity classified positions, and security personnel who performed nonsecurity duties. A total of 12 misclassified nonsecurity positions and 73 security positions were identified in this report. Some of these misclassified positions should be reviewed for possible reclassification or other action. JLARC's 1985 report on security staffing identified 89 security staff being used for nonsecurity functions. For the most part, these practices continue. DOC should reclassify such positions appropriately.

Utilization of Overtime

Overtime, a common means of compensating staff for hours worked beyond regularly scheduled hours, is frequently used by corrections administrators to supplement staffing. DOC is one of a few State agencies given blanket approval to use overtime under State personnel policy. The intent of this policy is to provide DOC with adequate staffing during emergency situations, such as escapes or riots.

DOC policy now permits overtime use in emergencies and to fill essential security posts. DOC defines the personnel who are eligible for overtime pay, but these policies are inconsistently followed. In particular, there is limited review of the reasons for overtime use. No institution was able to provide JLARC staff with documentation that indicated what emergencies existed on the days overtime was recorded. The department needs to more carefully define and monitor overtime use. Institutions should record in an auditable manner why overtime was used.

Inmate Labor

Twenty-five percent of the inmate population within the major institutions does not work. Of the inmates who do work, a significant number perform tasks that offer very little towards developing employment-related skills.

Efforts should be made to provide work to the significant number of inmates who are not engaged in productive work activities. Working inmates learn valuable skills, can often contribute to the operation of the institution, and can sometimes supplement or substitute for regular staff.

Field Units (pp. 105-134)

Staffing in Virginia's field units is generally insufficient to provide adequate security and programs. Additional personnel are needed in both the nonsecurity and security areas. (This report addresses security staffing in field units because JLARC staffs earlier report on security staffing focused only on major institutions.)

Most of Virginia's 26 field units are located in rural areas of the State. During FY 1985, the number of inmates housed in the 26 field units was 2,544, approximately 25 percent of the adult inmate population in Virginia's prison system. During FY 1985, the ratio of inmates to security staff at the major institutions averaged 2.51 to 1, compared with an average of 3.58 to 1 at the field units. The ratio of inmates to nonsecurity staff at the major institutions averaged 6.51 to 1, while the ratio at the field units was 17.55 to 1. During early FY 1986, field units received an additional 340 inmates as part of the Governor's initiative to reduce overcrowding in local jails.

In the past, most inmates in the field units were within two or three years of parole. However, according to DOC and field unit superintendents, many facilities are now receiving more inmates with longer sentences and convictions for violent crimes. Because of inmates' proximity to parole, field units represent the State's last opportunity to provide needed training, education, or rehabilitation.

Field units are considered to be less restrictive environments than the major institutions, and inmates assigned to field units are assumed to pose less of a security risk. Many inmates participate in farm or road work outside the walls. Nevertheless, over the years more escapes have involved inmates assigned to field units than inmates at major institutions. During FY 1985 field units accounted for 30 of 54 escapes.

Additional staffing is needed in field units to provide sufficient security for the increased inmate population and to provide adequate services for prisoners nearing release. A total of 77 additional FTEs are recommended in both nonsecurity and security areas.

Nonsecurity Staffing

For nonsecurity functions, JLARC staff recommend 48 additional full-time and six additional half-time positions. These positions include 20 additional full-time food service supervisor positions for the 20 field units that currently use corrections officers for food services. This action would free the correctional officers for security work. Six additional half-time nurse positions are recommended at six facilities, to give each field unit a full-time nurse. An additional 28 full-time counseling positions are recommended at 25 field units. These additional positions would ease pre-existing case management pressures and bring counseling caseloads in the field units closer to caseload standards and to the system average for the major institutions. Currently the number of inmates per counselor in the field units is 93:1, compared to 58:1 in the major institutions.

Security Staffing

Twenty-six additional corrections officers positions are recommended for nine field units. These positions are warranted based on .current population levels, security staff-to-inmate ratios, and the need for more officers during the night shift. A summary of recommended field unit staffing changes is presented in Table B.

Conclusion

While DOC's nonsecurity staffing is generally adequate, modifications are recommended to promote economy, better services, greater consistency, and improved security. Specific recommendations are included in the full text of the report.