Correctional officers at the Allegheny County Jail need a platform to speak directly to the Jail Oversight Board.
According to the 2024 ACJ Correctional Officer Survey, 87% of the officers disagree with the statement concerning jail administration, “Management understands the challenges I experience on my job,” and 84% disagree with the statement that “Management is receptive to my feedback and suggestions.”
What about the Jail Oversight Board? The board has never done an exit interview with a correctional officer even though they voted 3½ years ago to do these interviews because there is a major staffing crisis.
Correctional officers watch board meetings and never see the story told of their challenges and recommendations they have to make change. They have no seat at the table.
Part of their story is that many of them are working 80 hours a week, 40 hours of forced overtime for months with very minimal training at a time when there are major changes going on at the jail.
The Department of Justice has wisely said, “The culture of the facility ultimately will be the determining factor of a warden’s success,” and “Do not underestimate culture; it drives everything.”
Considering the organizational dynamics at the jail, the correctional officers need to organize themselves into a focus group and voice their concerns to the Jail Oversight Board for the board to really understand what is really going on at the jail.
John Kenstowicz
Morningside