GREENVILLE, Mich. — Neighbors in Ionia County are getting a closer look at what it takes to work inside a corrections facility as the Michigan Department of Corrections works to fill open positions across the area.
Officials say increasing staffing levels could improve safety and help ease the workload inside local facilities, including the Carson City Correctional Facility.
“We need people to be working, we need people, we need bodies, the state is hurting as far as corrections officers," said Ted Leslie, a CPC special activities coordinator at Carson City Correctional Facility.
At Tuesday's hiring event, applicants moved through interviews and physical testing, speaking with corrections staff about what the job could entail
“We have a lot of different staff here, and the reason that we bring a lot of these staff is so that they can talk with applicants when they come in,” said Justin Gullett, an MDOC recruiter, "they can let them know what their day-to-day will be when they’re at the facility.”
The department is currently hiring for several roles in Ionia County, including corrections officers, healthcare workers, mental health professionals, and food service staff. Positions offer state benefits, paid training, and career advancement opportunities, with pay ranging from $23.45 to $35.23 per hour.
Recruiters say being short-staffed can make scheduling difficult, especially when employees call in sick.
“If there is a shortage or somebody calls in sick, then yes, we do offer overtime,” Gullett said, “but we have a lot of people that volunteer, we try to take volunteers first before doing anything like mandating.”
Leslie, who has worked in corrections for more than 23 years, said the COVID-19 pandemic had a major impact on staffing levels.
“Through COVID, it was a difficult time,” Leslie said. “people retired, people left, it was really difficult, and the bounce back has been slow.”
Despite the challenges, Leslie says the work is meaningful and focused on safety, not just inside the facility, but in the community as well.
“We come to work thinking about safety for the inmate population, for my partner, for myself,” Leslie said, "and when you focus on transportation runs and the overall community, we want to make sure they’re safe too.”
As he looks toward the later years of his career, Leslie hopes hiring events like this will encourage more people to consider corrections as a career path.
“That’s why I come out and do these events,” he said, “I want to see it the way it was when I hired in, if not even better. I want to leave it better than I found it.”
The next Michigan Department of Corrections hiring event is scheduled for March 6 from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. at Michigan Works! in Ionia.
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