Is Missouri DOC Better Than it Was 5 Years Ago?

It has been more than 5 years since Missouri DOC came under new management. With a new Director and quite a bit of "house cleaning," the idea was to replace the "good ol' boy system" with something better. At least that was the sales pitch. 

It is worth noting that turnover at many Missouri prisons went up significantly after the change in leadership. This includes seasoned staff who had spent many years working within the institution walls. With so many jumping ship, it certainly did not appear that the new management was well received.

Supporters of the change would argue that it's all part of "cleaning house" and that the institutions were improving. Let's take a look at some of what has transpired in the last few years. On the positive side, pay for corrections officers went up significantly. However, it seems that this was the only way they could keep the prisons staffed.

Understaffing has been a huge issue for the department for years. The extremely low staff led to a much more dangerous workplace. This brings us to the next issue. Staff assaults have continued to be a major problem in Missouri prisons. Multiple serious assaults have taken place just this summer, some even leading to life-long injuries and at least one lawsuit. 

Even with the pay increase, staffing is still incredibly low in Missouri prisons. Clearly, violence is still a very real issue. It does not appear that too much has improved over the last few years for the Missouri department of Corrections. What do you think? Is DOC better off now than it was 5 years ago? Let us know in the comments. 

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