COVENO GOES INSIDE THE
WALLS TO INVESTIGATE T
PROBLEM.
REPORTER: THE ENVIRONMENT IS
LOUD AND SOMETIMES MESSY, OR
VIOLENT.
16-HOUR SHIFTS ARE ROUTINE
>> LAST NAM
MORALES?
REPORTER: THE VALLEY STREET JAIL
IN MANCHESTER HAS 30 VACANT SITS
RIGHT NOW.
THE SUPERINTENDENT SAYS THE JOB
IS TOUGH, AND THE DRU CRISIS
HAS MADE IT TOUGHER.
THESE IMAGES WERE TAKEN DURING
BOOKING AT THE JAIL.
>> YOU GOT SORES, WOUNDS,
HEPATITIS A, B, C, AIDS, ALL
THAT STUFF YOU'RE DEALING WITH
THESE PEOPLE WHEN THEY COME IN,
FRESH OFF THE STREET.
REPORTER: APPLICATIONS TRICKLE
IN.
RESIGNATIONS AND RETIREMENTS ARE
ABUNDANT.
>> 2014 WE HAD 3 RESIGNATIONS,
29 IN 2015.
42 IN 2016.
AND NINE SO FAR IN 2017.
REPORTER: THIS FISCAL YEAR 16,
THE STATE PRISON SYSTEM SAW 48
CORRECTIONS OFFICERS RETIRE OR
RESIGN AND HIRED 27.
A NET LOSS OF 21.
SO FAR THIS YEAR, 25 OFFICERS
HAVE LEFT AND 34 HAVE BEEN
HIRED.
A NOTE WORTHY GAIN OF 9, BUT
STILL NOT ENOUGH.
>> AS THE ECONO CONTINUES TO
IMPROVE, CORRECTION CAREER IS
NOT SOMETHING THAT IS SOUGHT
AFTER AS A FIRST CHOICE.
REPORTER: HILLSBORO COUNTY
OPERATES ITS OWN CORRECTIONS
ACADEMY, FIVE WEEKS.
18 WERE ACCEPTED, THE CLASS IS
DOWN TO 11.
>> I KNOW IT NOT AN EASY LINE OF
WORK AND IT'S NOT FOR EVERYBODY.
REPORTER: STARTING WAGES ARE
15.35 AN HOUR.
THE SUPERINTENDENT THINKS THAT'S
PART OF THE PROBLEM.
>> BY THE TIME THAT INDIVIDUAL
GETS A CHECK AT HOME THERE'S NOT
ENOUGH TO PUT FOOD ON THE TABLE.
REPORTER: THE CORRECTIONS
ACADEMY IN CONCORD HAS SOME
YOUNG FACES.
THE STATE RECENTLY LOWERED THE
MINIMUM AGE FROM 20 TO 19.
HOPING TO EXPAND THE APPLICATI
POOL.
30 TO 40 APPLICATIONS COME IN A
MONTH, BUT AFTER A BACKGROUND
CHECK, POLYGRAPH AND A
PHYSICAL FITNESS EXAM, THE
SPOKESMAN SAYS ONLY ABOUT 10%
ARE VIABLE CANDIDATES.
>>IT'S BEEN DIFFICULT TO GET
AHEAD.
REPORTER: THE LARGEST LAW
ENFORCEMENT AGENCY IN THE STATE
IS CHRONICALLY AND SEVERELY
UNDERSTAFFED.
MORE THAN 400 CORRECTIONS
OFFICERS WORK IN THE STATE
PRISON SYSTEM.
EVERY ONE OF THEM REQUIRED TO
WORK O.T.
>> STAFF UNDERSTAND THAT AND WE
HAVE SOME STAFF THERE DOING
THREE TO FOUR DAYS OF OVERTIME
PER WEEK AND THOSE ARE LONG LONG
SHIFTS.
>> EVERYBODY HAS A LIFE AT HOME
TOO, IT'S NOT JUST HERE.
REPORTER: THIS YEAR THE STATE
PRISON SYSTEM IS ON TRACK TO
EXCEED $10 MILLION IN OVERTIME.
THE OVERTIME BUDGET WAS SET A
$3.5 MILLION.
COUNTY JAIL FUNDING COMES FROM
PROPERTY TAXES.
THE OPERATING BUDGET AT
HILLSBORO IS 16.
5 MILLION YEAR.
680,000 IS BUDGETED FOR OVERTIME
FOR FISC YEAR 2017.
WITH TWO MONTHS LEFT,
1.1 MILLION IN O.T. HAS ALREADY
BEEN PAID OUT.
BUT DION SAYS HE'LL COME IN
UNDER BUDGET BECAUSE OF THE
STAFF SHORTAGE.
>> I WILL STAY WITHIN M BUDGET,
BECAUSE I USE THE MONEY FOR MY
SALARIES AND WAGES THAT I'M NOT
FULFILLING BECAUSE NOBODY IS
HERE, I TAKE THAT AND I GET TWO
TRANSFERS ALREADY.
REPORTER: HE SAYS A CORRECTIONS
CAREER BRINGS AN EXCELLENT
BENEFITS PANEL AND A GOOD
RETIREMENT PENSION PLAN.
BUT THOSE ON THE FRONT LINES
KNOW THAT THIS JOB IS SIMPLY NOT
FOR EVERYONE.
>> IT TAKES A UNIQUE KIND OF
PERSON TO GET INVOLVED IN THIS
LINE OF WORK AND FOLLOW THROUGH
WITH I
REPORTER: A SPOKESPERSON SAYS
THE STATE IS LOOKING TO HIRE A
PRIVATE MARKETING COMPANY TO
AUGMENT THEIR RECRUITMENT
EFFORTS.
THERE'S ALSO A MOVE TO PURCHASE
PRICEY SCHEDULING SOFTWARE TO
HELP TRACK THE OVERTIME.