USA: emergency declared at Kansas prison because of staffing shortage - 95 jobs unfilled

Kansas prisons have been under-staffed for years. Inmate populations are overcapacity. Uprisings in recent years have caused hundreds of thousands of dollars in damage.

Now, the state’s corrections agency is declaring an emergency at one of its largest prisons – El Dorado Correctional – because of staffing shortages. More than 25 percent of the prison’s uniformed positions are vacant.

Under the declaration, the state will be able to hire temporary staff to relieve corrections officers and other personnel working long hours.

It’s not the first time staffing issues have prompted the corrections agency to declare an emergency at El Dorado. In 2017, prison employees worked 12-hour shifts.

The new emergency declaration comes as the prison is operating above capacity, with 2,029 inmates as of Monday. That’s 74 over its limit.

On Monday, El Dorado had 95 total vacant positions – 84 of those for uniformed officers. The state prison at Lansing has roughly 170 openings, with 114 of those uniformed officers.

Democratic Gov. Laura Kelly said Tuesday the problems at El Dorado are among the “serious consequences to the mismanagement of the last few years” – a reference to the corrections leadership under Republican Govs. Sam Brownback and Jeff Colyer.

“Through the transition and the early weeks of my administration, it became increasingly clear that many of our state agencies have been neglected and underfunded,” Kelly said.

Kelly said she had met with legislative leaders on Tuesday morning to discuss the prison system. Senate President Susan Wagle, R-Wichita, said she hopes prison reform is an area where bipartisan cooperation can be found.

“We must work to find long-term solutions to address this crisis in our state,” Wagle said.

Kansas prisons have struggled for years to attract and retain workers. Starting pay lags behind some neighboring states, and wages for jails and other law enforcement positions are often more competitive.

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