I retired from the Maryland prison system some 21 years ago; it was overcrowded when I began my career in 1969 and it was mostly overcrowded throughout my career.
Many staff have also retired since then and conditions appear to be worsening. Continued vacancies always serve to eventually effect the overall good security and safety of a prison.
In January 2020, a News 4-I Team comprised of Scott McFarlane, Rick Yarborough and Steven Jones suggested that “Maryland state prisons are facing a staffing shortage of nearly 1,000 correctional officers, according to a review of state records.”
From my own prison experiences, staff shortages and other anticipated leave must be replaced by “overtime” use along with the collapsing of some posts.
Staff burnout of correctional officers from working longer days and hours to cover these vacancies also creates serious concerns and exacerbates the employees’ use of sick leave and well-being.
The current cost of overtime pay has to be astronomical throughout the Maryland Division of Correction because of vacancies.
On Friday, April 21, 2023, the American Federation of State, County, and Municipal Employees ( AFSCME-Counsel 3) submitted a report underscoring corrections short-staffing in Maryland and suggested “The state of Maryland needs to hire 3,400 additional officers to safely operate the Department of Public Safety and Correctional Services facilities.”
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Perhaps more a wish list than an actual thorough staffing review.
“Understaffing hinders our ability as corrections professionals to provide the best care and safety for detainees,” said Brittany Cozart, a correctional officer at the Metropolitan Transition Center in Baltimore.
When institutions are short staffed, from my prison experience, the population’s care and safety for detainees are impacted. Correctional officers, too, who work continued overtime also suffer; and stories are told today that staff are often “directed to work overtime” as too few of them volunteer.
And those retired senior employees, who have contributed much to the safety of Maryland’s prisons in the past, and were promised a “prescription insurance plan” upon retirement were railroaded by then-Gov. O’Malley with the support of the Maryland legislature and this benefit taken away.
Ken Fitch, a retired state employee, has tirelessly and relentlessly contested this act in the courts with legal assistance for years, obtaining a temporary reprieve, but now the state is set to eliminate this benefit in December 2024.
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Martin O’Malley was nominated by President Biden to be Commissioner of the Social Security Administration and was sworn into office Dec. 20, 2023, by Sen. Ben Cardin.
Let us hope that O’Malley is more kind to Social Security members than he was to the Maryland retirees.
And while AFSCME is negotiating staffing for the Maryland Division of Correction, might they also render a protest for the elimination of the “employee drug program” for retirees, in “a better vein of protest” than they did when Gov. O’Malley was in office.
And if I may offer one small comment to the possibility of success for your loud voices above for “additional calvary coming over the hill” to save the day in the form of replacement correctional officers; well, I’m thinking pilgrim, your chances appear slim to none.
If you have been reading the papers recently, you will readily see a Washington Post article by Erin Cox, on July 10, 2024 reported that “Maryland Gov. Wes Moore proposed a $150 million worth of targeted cuts by state spending to finance a child-care subsidy program.”
Some prison efforts have been made for potential retirees to receive pay bonuses to extend their stay on the job to help reduce the staffing problems, but this is a short-lived proposition.
Will the governor successfully resolve the problem of prison vacancies, while new correctional officer recruits are in short supply?
Or will Maryland politicians continue to kick the “correctional officer vacancy can” further down the road until something really serious happens?
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From my own personal experiences, I’ve lived through prison riots from 1971, 1972, 1973, 1990, 1991 and maybe a few more in between; inmate homicides, suicides, gang fights, medical emergencies and other issues such as COVID are additional elements to consider.
Prison is not a fun place for staff or inmates when there are problems.
Perhaps Gov. Moore and representatives of AFSCME Council 3 can walk some institutions together to “witness firsthand” the seriousness of their predicament.
Staff and inmates deserve a safe prison environment.
Governor, maybe if you take time to actually visit your prisons, I think you will readily see that result of staffing shortages and serious problems behind the wall.
To my friends and staff in the prison world, “may safety at work be your constant companion.”
Pete Waters is a Sharpsburg resident who writes for The Herald-Mail.
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Publish date : 2024-08-25 21:00:00
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