Called to Corrections: What’s Working in Officer Recruitment and Retention

Local detention centers present an opportunity for justice involved individuals to turn their lives around. These facilities are often the first touch point that some incarcerated people have with regular health care, educational and employment opportunities, and social service programs.

However, counties face numerous challenges addressing workforce shortages in the public safety sector and the corrections field in particular. Successfully navigating these challenges requires leaning into existing strategies as well as trying out new ones.

At the MACo Summer Conference, this expert panel will share strategies and tactics they have employed including those that didn’t pay off and the ones that moved the needle.

Called to Corrections: What’s Working in Officer Recruitment and Retention

Description: Correctional officers wear many different hats. They ensure the health, safety, and rehabilitation of community members looking to re-enter society. They have to be sensitive and stern, caring and in control. These professionals have dedicated their careers to this critical public service, one that is often overlooked and is certainly not without its challenges. Workforce and labor market trends have added to those obstacles, creating shortages that can endanger the safety of everyone within a corrections facility. Without these dynamic and dedicated professionals, incarcerated individuals lose an element of human interaction that is vital to the rehabilitation and re-entry process – an important factor for all community members. Find out from a panel of experts what local governments are doing to revitalize this sector of the workforce, where recruitment strategies are working, and how retention efforts can ensure a stable workforce for the future.

Speakers:

  • Captain Shawn Moses – Director of Recruitment, St. Mary’s County Sheriff’s Office
  • Lt. Jonathan Palmer – Recruitment Coordinator, Charles County Detention Center
  • Sarita C. Durant – Recruitment, Department of Detention Facilities, Anne Arundel County

Moderator: The Honorable Senator Michael Jackson, Maryland Senate

Date/Time: Friday, August 16, 2024; 1:00 pm – 2:00 pm

MACo’s Summer Conference, “Turning the Tide,” is August 14-17, 2024, at the Roland Powell Convention Center in Ocean City, Maryland.

Learn more about MACo’s Summer Conference: