Title

Staff Turnover in New Generation Jails: An Investigation Of Its Causes and Prevention

Abstract

A high turnover rate among carefully selected and monitored personnel signifies that the long-term return on selection and training resources invested in correctional staff too frequently is being lost. High negative turnover (loss of desirable employees) in New Generation Jails portends a serious compromise of long-range organizational effectiveness, but too often jail administrators are preoccupied with more immediate facility problems such as jail overcrowding. Despite the scale of this widely acknowledged problem, there is little direct evidence available as to the extent or likely causes of the staff turnover problem in such jails. Using survey and organizational profile data from six New Generation Jails, this study estimated the extent of turnover occurring in podular/direct supervision jails, identified causes, and has provided some preliminary recommendations for its reduction. Means of enhancing the “person-to-job” fit and the “person-to-organization” fit in such facilities are discussed in some detail in this article.

Department(s)

Criminology and Criminal Justice

Document Type

Article

DOI

https://doi.org/10.1016/0047-2352(92)90080-s

Publication Date

1992

Journal Title

Journal of Criminal Justice 20

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