Alabama prison staffing numbers fell over 12 months

By KIM CHANDLER
Associated Press

MONTGOMERY, Ala. (AP) — The Alabama prison system, already understaffed and facing a federal court order to boost employment numbers, saw the number of correctional staff decline 4% during 12 months of the pandemic. The Alabama Department of Corrections had 1,914 officers and supervisors at the end of June 2020 — a 50% vacancy rate. But that fell to 1,837 at the end of June 2021, boosting the vacancy rate to 52%. The numbers were listed in quarterly staffing reports the system is required to file with the federal court. While staff shortages have long been a problem for corrections agencies, the pandemic brought new challenges for systems across the country.