MONTGOMERY, Ala. (AP) – The Alabama prison system, already understaffed and facing a federal court order to boost employment numbers, saw the number of correctional staff decline 4% during the pandemic.
The Alabama Department of Corrections had 1,914 officers and supervisors in the quarter that ended June 30, 2020 – a 50% vacancy rate. But that fell to 1,837 at the end of June 30, 2021, boosting the vacancy rate to 52%. The numbers were listed in most recent staffing reports the system is required to file with the federal court.
While staff shortages have long been a problem for corrections agencies, the pandemic brought new challenges for systems across the country. In Alabama, that comes as the state faces the dual pressure of a Department of Justice civil lawsuit and a separate court order out of a mental health care lawsuit to boost staffing.
Kyle Mays, 36, this year left his job of 11 years at Limestone Correctional Facility because he said the stress of working inside the prison was beginning to take a toll. He took a pay cut to take a job in manufacturing.
“It has gotten worse by far worse,” Mays said of conditions inside prisons.