Department of Public Safety and Correctional Services Office of the Secretary 300 E. JOPPA ROAD SUITE 1000 TOWSON, MARYLAND 21286-3020 (410) 339-5000 FAX (410) 339-4240 TOLL FREE (877) 379-8636 V/TTY (800) 735-2258 www.dpscs.state.md.us STATE OF MARYLAND MARTIN O MALLEY GOVERNOR ANTHONY G. BROWN LT. GOVERNOR GARY D. MAYNARD SECRETARY G. LAWRENCE FRANKLIN DEPUTY SECRETARY DEPUTY SECRETARY DIVISION OF CORRECTION DIVISION OF PAROLE AND PROBATION DIVISION OF PRETRIAL DETENTION AND SERVICES PATUXENT INSTITUTION MARYLAND COMMISSION ON CORRECTIONAL STANDARDS CORRECTIONAL TRAINING COMMISSION POLICE TRAINING COMMISSION MARYLAND PAROLE COMMISSION CRIMINAL INJURIES COMPENSATION BOARD EMERGENCY NUMBER SYSTEMS BOARD SUNDRY CLAIMS BOARD INMATE GRIEVANCE OFFICE The Honorable Ulysses Currie Chairman, Senate Budget and Taxation Committee 3 West, Miller Senate Office Building Annapolis, Maryland 21401-1991 The Honorable Norman Conway Chairman, House Committee on Appropriations 1312 Whittier Drive Salisbury, Maryland 21801-3241 RE: September 10, 2007 Joint Chairmen s Report Department of Public Safety and Correctional Services Report on the Impact of Correctional Officer Recruitment and Retention Enhancements Dear Chairmen: Enclosed please find the Department of Public Safety and Correctional Services Report on the Impact of Correctional Officer Recruitment and Retention Enhancements, which is required by budget language on page 149 of the 2007 Joint Chairmen s Report. The budget language requirement reads as follows: The committees direct the Department of Public Safety and Correctional Services (DPSCS) to analyze and report on the impact the salary increase and bonus programs have had on recruitment and retention of correctional officers. The report should specifically address the effects on the number of applicants and new hires, and reductions in turnover, overtime, and sick leave. The enclosed report details the number of applicants for the position of correctional officer as well as the number of people actually hired. The report also discusses retention bonuses and the method for paying them. I hope this report is both informative and helpful. If the Department can be of any further assistance, please do not hesitate to contact me. Sincerely, Gary D. Maynard Secretary Enclosure c: Senator James E. DeGrange, Sr., Chair, Senate Public Safety, Transportation, and Environment Subcommittee Delegate James Proctor, Vice Chair, House Committee on Appropriations Delegate Charles Barkley, Chair, House Subcommittee on Public Safety and Administration Members of the House Committee on Appropriations Members of the Senate Budget and Taxation Committee Mr. Matthew Gallagher, Deputy Chief of Staff, Governor s Office Mr. Joseph Bryce, Governor s Legislative and Policy Director Mr. Sean Malone, Governor s Deputy Legislative Officer Mr. Warren G. Deschenaux, Director, Department of Legislative Services Mr. David Treasure, Department of Budget and Management Ms. Rebecca Moore, Policy Analyst, Department of Legislative Services Mrs. Diane Lucas, Supervisor, Budget Analysis, Department of Budget and Management Mrs. Elizabeth H. Moss, Staff, House Committee on Appropriations Mr. Edward M. Cheston, Staff, Senate Budget and Taxation Committee Ms. Shirleen Pilgrim, Staff, Senate Judicial Proceedings Committee Ms. Cathy Kramer, Department of Legislative Services Ms. Sarah Albert, Department of Legislative Services Deputy Secretary G. Lawrence Franklin, DPSCS Assistant Secretary Richard B. Rosenblatt, DPSCS Assistant Secretary David Bezanson, DPSCS Acting Commissioner Howard Ray, DPDS Acting Commissioner J. Michael Stouffer, DOC Director Randall Nero, Patuxent Institution Director Rhea L. Harris, Office of Legislative Affairs, DPSCS
DEPARTMENT OF PUBLIC SAFETY AND CORRECTIONAL SERVICES Report on the Impact of Correctional Officer Recruitment and Retention Enhancement September 2007 Martin J. O Malley, Governor Anthony G. Brown, Lt. Governor Gary D. Maynard, Secretary
Introduction In FY06, the Department of Public Safety and Correctional Services (DPSCS) submitted an enhancement request to the Administration which included the following components for Correctional Officers: Correctional Officer Sign-On Bonus Correctional Officer Retention Bonus Correctional Officer Finder Fee Bonus Salary Increase for Correctional Officers and Related Classifications The need for these enhancements was because the applicant pool for Correctional Officers was insufficient, the number of Correctional Officer vacancies was increasing, resulting in an increase of overtime to cover vacant positions, and an increasing number of Correctional Officers who were resigning positions. In assessing the impact of the enhancements, which were implemented in late FY06, it is important to understand that often it is a combination of the components versus each component, individually, that has had a positive result on the problems. Correctional Officer Sign-On Bonus The Correctional Officer Sign-On Bonus was implemented to enhance DPSCS efforts in the hiring of new qualified Correctional Officers I and II to fill vacant authorized positions. The criteria to be eligible for the Sign-On Bonus is: A new appointment as a Correctional Officer I or a reinstatement of a Correctional Officer II with at least six months separation from State service. The first payment of $500 will be made after the first six months of satisfactory service. The second payment of $500 will be made after the satisfactory completion of the first year of State service as evidenced by a completed performance evaluation. The measures DPSCS agreed upon to determine the success of the Sign-On Bonus were to examine the number of applicants who tested for the Correctional Officer I classification and the number of Correctional Officers I that were hired prior to and since these enhancement efforts were implemented. The first applicants hired under this bonus were in November 2005, and the first bonus payments were made in May 2006.
The table below reflects data for the two measures from calendar year 2004 through June 30, 2007. The data reflects an increase in both measures when comparing calendar year 2005 to calendar year 2006. The number of applicants tested increased by 90%, and the number of Correctional Officers hired increased by 20%. Calendar Year # of Applicants Tested # of Correctional Officers Hired 2004 3,054 796 2005 3,036 981 2006 5,757 1,178 2007* 2,531 504 Totals 14,378 3,459 *Data is through 06/30/07 Conclusion DPSCS has paid a total of 1,352 Sign-On Bonuses totaling $676,000 in calendar year 2006 through June 30, 2007. The Sign-On Bonus, as a part of the entire package to recruit qualified applicants, has enhanced the Department s ability to test and hire sufficient Correctional Officers to meet the continuing needs of our correctional institutions and facilities. Correctional Officer Retention Bonus The Correctional Officer Retention Bonus was issued by the Secretary of the Department of Budget and Management to enhance the retention of employees in the Correctional Officer II through the Correctional Officer Major classifications. The criteria to be eligible for the $500 Retention Bonus is: Currently employed in a permanent classification as a Correctional II, for at least 12 months, through the rank of Correctional Officer Major classifications. Has received at least a meet standards rating on the most recent performance evaluation. Had less than five unscheduled absences (call-ins) from work during the designated 12-month period. The 12-month period was May 1, 2006, through April 30, 2007. The turnover of Correctional Officers II, the classification that comprises the largest number of positions, has been a major problem within the Department of Public Safety and Correctional Services (DPSCS). The measure that DPSCS agreed upon to determine the success of the Correctional Officer Retention Bonus is whether the number of Correctional Officers II who resign has decreased since the implementation of the Retention Bonus. - 2 -
Table 1 represents the number of Correctional Officer II authorized PINs, the number of CO II resignations, and the percentage of CO II PINs vacated by resignation. Table 1 Calendar Year # OF CO II Authorized PINs # OF CO II Resignations % OF CO II Authorized PINs 2004 4,599 375 8.1% 2005 4,409 396 8.9% 2006 4,272 339 7.9% 2007* 4,357 129 2.9% *Data is through 06/30/07 The percentage of Correctional Officers II who have resigned decreased in 2006 compared to 2005 and shows a continuing decrease through June 30, 2007. Conclusion DPSCS paid 2,509 Retention Bonuses totaling $1,254,000 through June 30, 2007. Based on the measure of success for the Retention Bonus, the data supports the positive impact on reducing the percentage of Correctional Officers II who are resigning. A comparison of the 396 resignations in 2005, pre-bonus program, compared to the 129 resignations in 2007 through June 30, 2007, post-bonus program, reveals the retention bonus has had a positive impact on reducing resignations by a potential 138 vacancies in 2007. Finder s Fee Bonus The Finder s Fee Bonus was issued by the Secretary of the Department of Budget and Management to encourage employees of the Department of Public Safety and Correctional Services to refer qualified applicants for the position of Correctional Officer I. The criteria to be eligible for the $500 Finder s Fee Bonus is: A permanent employee of the Department of Public Safety and Correctional Services who is not in one of the excluded positions such as employees in the Executive Pay Plan, Deputy and Assistant Commissioners. The employee referred and hired as a Correctional Officer completes six months of satisfactory service. The first payment is $250. The employee referred and hired as a Correctional Officer completes 12 months of satisfactory service. The second payment is $250. This bonus program enhances the formal recruitment process conducted throughout the year by the Department s Recruitment and Examination Unit and by the staff of each of the correctional facilities and agencies. - 3 -
The Finder s Fee Bonus Program was instituted in FY 06 by having applicants who took the Correctional Officer I test identify the departmental employee who referred them for the position. The first successful referral and hiring must have been employed for at least six months before the Finder s Fee could be paid. The first payment was made in June 2006. Since 2006 through June 2007, there have been 2,740 referrals, resulting in 599 new hires. The Department has paid a total of 321 Finder s Fee Bonuses totaling $80,250. Conclusion The Finder s Fee Bonus has had a positive impact on recruiting, hiring, and retaining Correctional Officers. - 4 -