Allegheny County Jail corrections officers are struggling with the effects of forced overtime, chronic understaffing, and strained relationships with facility administrators, according to responses to a recent survey.
The results come amid an ongoing staffing shortage and concerns about living conditions at the jail.
Respondents reported working conditions have deteriorated since a similar survey was conducted last year.
At a county Jail Oversight Board meeting Wednesday, survey administrator John Kenstowicz said 194 corrections officers, or COs, completed the survey. That’s about 53% of the COs who work at the jail.
They provided more than 500 statements in their own words, describing difficulties recruiting and retaining workers, in part because of the forced overtime that occurs when the facility is understaffed.
“There are many officers who are working at our jail ‘til 11 o’clock tonight and came to start working at 7 a.m. this morning. They will return, without much sleep, to start work at 7 tomorrow morning and will double shift again, working until 11 p.m.,” Kenstowicz told the board.
“They will continue this schedule for five days, working 80 hours — 40 of forced overtime — being disconnected from their families. This schedule will go on for months for many officers.
“This must stop.”
Jail spokesperson Jesse Geleynse declined to comment, citing ongoing contract negotiations with the union that represents COs at the jail.
More than 89% of respondents said shifts are not staffed with enough COs, while nearly 93% said forced overtime “has become disruptive to my family and me” and another 89.7% said it affected their physical and mental health.
Others described an untenable work environment and up to 40 hours of forced overtime a week.
“Might as well get a DOC number,” one respondent wrote. “I am here as much as the inmates.”
“Honestly, what the county should be worried about is keeping the younger officers that are trained and getting burned out. They are going to be the ones leaving the way the current culture is,” wrote another.
Some shared concerns the demanding schedule was negatively impacting their ability to do their jobs, and potentially endangering incarcerated people.
“The jail has armed officers with firearms that are in their fifth straight forced [overtime shift] and expect officers to have good judgement,” said one CO.
A 2023 audit from County Controller Corey O’Connor found the jail is “grossly understaffed,” though the problem predates the current administration. A 2010 analysis of the jail’s use of overtime found that the facility didn’t employ enough officers to work regular time.
Survey responses showed a disconnect between staff on the ground and upper management.
COs criticized unresponsive administrators. Only 4% said they felt “valued and respected as a CO at the Allegheny County Jail” and agreed management is “receptive to my feedback and suggestions.”
“Administration sits in their offices and barely see what we do beyond camera watching,” said one respondent, while another urged management to “stop punishing officers for mistakes and show them what they did wrong and explain how they should have done it. Everyone is afraid to do their jobs because of fear of being disciplined, suspended or forced [into overtime].”
When asked why other officers may have left their positions, COs cited low pay, a lack of work/life balance, and deteriorating mental health. A current county job posting for a correctional officer shows entry level compensation at roughly $22.81 per hour.
“The pay wasn’t worth the stressor of the destruction of an outside social life and family relationships,” one CO said.
“They left because they are being put in danger. Lack of sleep, the jail being forced to run with inadequate staffing, and being put on specialty pods without proper training has resulted in negligent conditions,” said another.
Kenstowicz and other advocates have repeatedly requested that the oversight board conduct exit interviews, though the current iteration of the board has not done so.
Among the solutions public commenters offered at Wednesday’s meeting: hiring more COs or putting fewer people in jail, instead diverting them to non-carceral programs or releasing them early.
Administrators worked to reduce the jail population during the COVID-19 pandemic in an effort to reduce the risk of disease spread. A 2021 analysis found considering older and health-compromised people for release, as well as people awaiting trial or probation violation hearings or those who could be paroled early, did not cause an increased risk to public safety.
“It also occurs to me that the fewer people in jail, the fewer staffing problems you have,” said Sharon Bonavoglia, a member of the Pennsylvania Interfaith Impact Network.
