Staff exhausted, demoralized

There is plenty of overtime work to be had at the Department of Corrections because of staff shortages, but this situation has also led to many of the staff suffering from exhaustion and low morale, with the average work hours of a Corrections officer being between 12.5 hours and 16 hours per day for a six-day work period.

That’s among the findings of a desk audit the Office of Personnel Management did at the department, which also uncovered the low morale within DOC, especially as it pertains to relations with the department’s upper management.

The audit report noted the DOC commissioner’s earlier statement that the department averages $30,000 to $50,000 in overtime costs per pay period. With the average Corrections officer logging in between 12.5 hours and 16 hours per day for a six-day work period, OPM said this results in 64 hours up to 106 hours of overtime per officer per pay period for 47 officers.

OPM director Frances Torres-Salas submitted the audit report last Aug. 1, 2022, to House of Representatives Speaker Edmund S. Villagomez (Ind-Saipan), with the hope that improved standards will be considered for law enforcement personnel across the board.

OPM completed its review of the DOC on Saipan for the period from November 2021 to July 2022.

Torres-Salas said the review was conducted for the purpose of determining whether DOC was providing services in an economical, efficient, and effective manner, whether goals and objectives were being achieved, and whether DOC was complying with applicable governmental and departmental policies and procedures.

OPM interviewed 85 out of 95 DOC personnel, which included both law enforcement officers and non-law enforcement personnel.

As OPM was conducting its interviews, it was discovered that DOC was experiencing a severe manpower shortage and staff burnout, largely due to the resignations of personnel seeking employment elsewhere due to their low wages. Additionally, some Corrections officers were charged for disciplinary issues, which caused some terminations.

The purpose of the audit report was to respond to the inquiries addressed to OPM by the House of Representatives.

According to the audit report, the DOC commissioner stated that due to the manpower shortage, it is necessary that all Corrections officers perform work overtime until such time that new recruits complete the Corrections Academy training. OPM found out that the exhaustion is caused by working more than 16-hour shifts and at times having only one day or no days off.

OPM said this creates other issues with time and attendance.

In their findings, OPM said there are concerns of poor communication with management and inconsistent decision-making by upper management. OPM said the effects of poor communication at times cause tensions to rise, resulting in potential conflict among employees.

The report said there’s lack of training for internal affairs personnel, lack of professional training for other Corrections officers, and there’s unfair selection of officers to attend training.

There were also reports of unfair treatment of Corrections officers by management and lack of professionalism.

The report said there’s lack of inmate programs during incarceration and after release.

DOC has maintained the same shift schedule for the past five months without rotating staff. OPM said this has created exhaustion.

OPM said Corrections officers are also not trained to deal with inmates or detainees who require psychiatric care. The report said no mental health training is offered to prepare Corrections officers for this type of environment.

The report found inmates not wearing the designated uniform while under the outreach program due to hot weather conditions. OPM said this poses a community safety concern in case of escape attempts.

OPM said Corrections officers also see inmates that are under the influence of illicit drugs once or twice a week.

OPM said there are three medical unit staff altogether who are Corrections officers; two have no medical background and one is only a certified emergency medical technician from prior work experience. OPM said Corrections officers who are not certified clinicians dispense medication to inmates, as prescribed by their physician.

The report found lack of a biohazard bin to dispose of used insulin syringes.

OPM said Corrections officers also deal with disabled inmates and detainees that require special care and attention. OPM said Corrections officers also deal with other serious health conditions that actually require a certified clinician.

The report found that, in addition to the EMT-certified Corrections officers, the non-medically trained Medical Unit staff and Corrections officers on shift provide clinical care to inmates and detainees, as necessary. This, OPM said, includes daily insulin shots, along with checking blood pressure.

OPM recommends, among other things, to establish a baseline communication standard and set expectations for improvement. OPM said there should be more professional training related to their work as Corrections officers, such as EMT training to all officers dealing with inmates and detainees.

OPM said DOC should enforce uniform policies for the outreach program inmates and provide a lighter material so they are able to perform their work comfortably.

OPM said DOC should provide constant training to help Corrections officers deal with mental health issues.

The report recommends to spot check all areas of the DOC facility using a certified K-9 dog with a certified K-9 dog handler.

The report said DOC should hire at least two to three certified or licensed nurses to provide 24-hour care for inmates needing medical attention on-site to assist with a disability or require special attention.

OPM recommends DOC to rotate Corrections officers each month to ensure that all officers are exposed to and are familiar with the different operations.

OPM recommends that DOC also improve communication between the management team and upper management.

To ease DOC’s manpower shortage, it is currently holding a Corrections Academy consisting of 39 cadets. The graduation is in early October 2022.

The Budget Act for Fiscal Year 2022 (CNMI Public Law 22-08) mandates OPM to conduct a desk audit of DOC and the Department of Public Safety.