Waterbury, VT – As part of a comprehensive plan to stabilize facility staffing levels, reduce the need for field staff to cover overtime shifts, and improve the quality of life for staff on the frontlines, the Department of Corrections announced Wednesday that security staff at Vermont’s six correctional facilities will move from 8-hour to 12-hour shifts and the State will conduct a market factor analysis of corrections security staff pay.
Twelve-hour shifts are currently in place on an emergency basis at Northeast Correctional Complex (NECC) in St. Johnsbury and Southern State Correctional Facility (SSCF) in Springfield. The schedule change will take effect at the remaining four facilities on August 28, 2022. Staff will be on a five days on/two days off schedule to start, with the ultimate goal of moving to a biweekly schedule which allows for seven days off during a 14-day pay period.
“Department leadership studied our staffing situation, talked with our staff throughout the state, and pored over possible solutions to our most vexing and important challenge: creating a stable, engaged, and motivated workforce to achieve the Department’s mission,” said Commissioner Nicholas Deml. “Those efforts culminated in a comprehensive plan to first stabilize our staffing situation and then create a permanent, sustainable corrections system for Vermont. We believe this plan best serves our staff and builds toward a stronger system in the long term.”
The plan also calls for increases in security staff pay, a new recruitment referral incentive for staff who bring new employees into the Department, and the restructuring of two offices within the Department to focus more heavily on staff support and development. The plan builds on efforts started earlier in 2022 to promote staff wellness and improve the workplace for security staff.
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