Penitentiary Shifts to 12-Hour Schedule, Announces Bonus
The Nebraska State Penitentiary declared a staffing emergency last week and shifted to using a 12-hour schedule for its staff.
The Nebraska Department of Correctional Services announced it would immediately begin offering a $10,000 hiring bonus for new corporals for the Nebraska State Penitentiary, Tecumseh State Correctional Institution and Lincoln Correctional Center/Diagnostic and Evaluation Center. A $10,000 bonus is also being offered to NDCS staff who refer new hires to NSP and TSCI, and current NSP employees will receive a $500 year-end bonus.
NDCS Director Scott R. Frakes said the staffing emergency was required under current collective bargaining contracts with the Fraternal Order of Police Lodge 88 and NAPE AFSCME to move to a 12-hour operational schedule.
“This is not being initiated by any particular incident at the penitentiary,” Frakes said in a news release last Thursday. “To be clear, being on modified operations is a temporary move that will allow us to implement the necessary staffing adjustments.”
The State Penitentiary moved into modified operations from last Thursday through Tuesday, and it was placed on lockdown Wednesday. Visitation time was cancelled during that period.
“We have been monitoring staffing levels at the penitentiary closely for months,” Frakes said. “Staffing vacancies have led to frequent modifications to operations, impacting facility safety. It is necessary at this time to put the facility on a more manageable and consistent schedule.”
The shift from 8-hour to 12-hour schedules is intended to be a short-term solution allowing for new hiring and retention initiatives to stabilize the facility’s staffing. NDCS said the hiring bonus is three times the prior bonus of $3,000 for new employees.
“We’ve had some success with the incentive programs we have offered before, but this kicks it up to an entirely new level,” Frakes said. “I am highly encouraged that monetary offers of this size will have significant impact.”
The new shifts began Monday with staff working four consecutive 12-hours days, followed by three days off.
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