Missouri Department of Corrections is Losing Experienced Officers as Staffing Crisis Continues. One Former Officer Speaks Out

We have discussed the Missouri Department of Corrections quite a bit, and will continue to do so while it implodes. The problems facing MODOC are many. Chief among them, in terms of sustainability is the critical staff shortage in Missouri Prisons. The fact is that there will be blood and violence in the Missouri Prison system sooner rather than later. While the institutions are stocking up on riot gear and preparing for the disturbances to come, staff numbers are too low to perform even normal daily operations. The staff shortage is a crisis. But more interesting than the high turnover of officers is the pattern of who is leaving.

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What we see more and more is that it is not the new officers that are turning in their badge. It is the veteran staff who have served for years that are choosing to hang it up. In a time of impending unrest in the prisons, when experienced officers are needed most, the institutions are being left to the 19-year-old rookies. Why are seasoned officers leaving in droves? Of course the Division Director was quoted as saying that she doesn't care, but that is not good enough for the rest of us. We need to take a long hard look at the fact that people who have worked with the department long enough to know what's going on are all jumping ship. Experience speaks, and it seems that for those working in Missouri Prisons, Experience is saying It's time to get out.

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To gain some insight, we like to talk to those experienced officers who have had enough. We want to hear their story that the department wants silenced. Below is an interview with one such officer. This is an officer who walked away after over a decade in the department. This is someone who dedicated herself to the job and the department as an officer and a supervisor only to leave when realizing that the department wasn't dedicated to her or the other staff putting themselves in danger on the front lines.


How long did you work in the Department and what positions did you hold?

11 ½ years, COI, COII, & OSA-K



What accomplishments are you the most proud of in your time with Corrections?

Promoting and helping staff.



What do you wish people knew about the work Corrections Officers do?

It is not safe. It is very dangerous. An administration starting in the Director's office, trickling down to the institutional administration do not have staff's best interest in mind. They will promise you positive change, but give you more demands than staffing allows.



What are your thoughts and experiences regarding the DOC Harassment claims?

Having seen some first-hand, they are very real and not all claims are frivolous. These claims should be taken very seriously and not pushed under the rug. DOC does the minimal amount necessary to protect themselves in these situations and for the most part, it does not resolve any harassment claims. Staff are still left working with a person who has harassed them, sometimes even working for the person harassing them.



What do you feel is the biggest problem affecting safety in Missouri’s institutions today?

Lack of benefits for potential or current staff leads to poor quality of employees. Employees with no sense of self-preservation leads to staff assaults. Additionally, offenders are continuously given more leeway in regards to policy than staff are. There is no care about the quality of staff working for the department, only quantity, which is also critically low.



Corrections turnover has always been high, but at this point, the biggest number of employees resigning seem to be people with a lot of time in with the department. Why do you think staff with years of experience are leaving in such high numbers?

Staff who are tenured are now leaving because we have worked for a department that, at one time, was dependable and we could trust to make decisions that were in staff's best interest. Now, we see how staff are being treated. We have a base for comparison, and those with experience know that it could be better for staff, because it was better for staff in the past. Constant changes that constantly take from staff contribute to this as well. Instead of providing incentive to remain with the Department, they give reason after reason to seek employment elsewhere.



What was the biggest turning point for you? What made you decide to leave?

The director's statements about promoting change that was focused on front-line staff turned out to be what more they could take away from staff. A tobacco-free initiative was implemented April 1st statewide. While the department claimed they did so as a response to a lawsuit from an offender about secondhand smoke and health effects on offenders, it was later revealed that the Director chose to settle out of court on the premise that institutions would become tobacco-free. Smoking or using electronic cigarette products provided a small relief to staff coping with the second most stressful career in the nation. When this policy was implemented, staff became disgruntled and felt that a legal product that could help manage stress was taken away. Additionally, this was the department making a health care decision for employees without their consent. Regardless of the health effects of smoking or vaping, a health care decision affecting staff for 8-16 hours per day has been an adjustment some staff are unable to make. Whether you smoke or not, this was a decision that should not have been forced on staff.
When I was told my opinion didn't matter and I was disciplined for simply documenting staff's concerns, this was the point I decided to leave the department. As a front-line officer, being told my opinion about the safety of the staff wasn't important and it “... doesn't matter what you do because the administration doesn't give a damn,” was when I decided to leave.



You have the floor. Imagine that the readers are split 50/50 between corrections staff and the general public seeking information. What would you want to tell others working in corrections? What do you want to convey to those outside who don’t know what it’s like? In as many words as you want, share a final thought with our readers.

This seems like a well-favored entry-level job. 120 hours of sick leave and annual leave with 12-13 holidays you are compensated for in the first year alone gains appeal. However, the inability to use the leave accrued, or even being disciplined for using it is a common occurrence. There are supervisors beginning at Sergeant and escalating to the administration that will harass you, and show favor to other employees while chastising other staff because they aren't part of the “good ol boy" system. Your safety is often neglected or completely ignored due to operational demands the institution carries, or that staffing does not allow.
While the benefits seem good, you are never given a raise. What you make is what a new employee makes. If you have 10 years of tenure, a new employee will bring home the same paycheck. When there are promises of a pay incentive or a raise, the contracted insurance company will raise their contract price, charging you a higher premium, making any pay raise or incentive null. There is plenty of overtime you can work, though! With so few staff, entry-level officers are working 40-70 hours per week, sacrificing their personal time, time spent with their children, or the much-needed time away from an abusive environment. Your overtime can be compensated and paid out, and you can make over $60k a year! This annual income comes at a cost. You will be subjected to psychological abuse, sexual assault, and physical assault on a daily basis. These are not sporadic events, they happen daily. Your mental well-being will suffer. While you think you can push through it, offenders openly masturbate to you, threaten to rape and murder you, and staff sexually harass you. The department will send you to a sponsored counselor for 6 free sessions to convince you that you should be “ok, and learn to deal with it.” When considering a career in corrections, take it from someone who has seen it all and do something else. Find something that makes you happy and do that instead! I have never seen a person leave the department a better person than when they started. The use and abuse of anti-anxiety medications, marijuana, or alcohol are the top three forms of “coping” that staff use to deal with the stress of working here. The department and its policies are not in staff's best interest, nor do they care about your well-being, whether physically or mentally. Their “solutions” are merely liability actions taken to help prevent lawsuits that staff should pursue.
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Important words here for everyone to think about. Thanks to this officer for her service and for speaking up! Anyone else who has a story to share, contact us. Your voice will be heard.