Wyoming Department of Corrections Adjusts Hiring Practices to Recruit More Staff

Three months ago, K2 reported that the Wyoming Department of Corrections moved over 200 inmates out of state due to staffing shortages.

In response to a severe decline in staffing, the WDOC is making some changes:

Pay Raises

At the top of the list is paying correctional officers more. The starting pay went from $20.66 an hour to $25.26, which they say is more in line with other DOCs.

Less Sit-ups?

The physical requirements will be less intensive -- the department did not say what that means exactly, but the current standards require women between the ages of 18 and 44 to run a mile in less than 17 minutes. Men need to be able to cover a mile in less than 15 minutes.

Other standards include being able to perform varying amounts of push-ups and sit-ups dependent on age, and there is a Defensive Tactics training that must be completed as well.

We have reached out to the WDOC Training Academy Manager to learn more about how these standards will be adjusted moving forward, but they were not immediately available. We will update and let radio listeners know what we find when we do.

Shorter Recruiting Process

The original hiring process for correctional officers took between two and three months. The WDOC says they often lost employees to competitors in that time. The "lengthy process" involves two standards: P.O.S.T (Peace Officer Standard and Training) and PREA (Prison Rape Elimination Act).

Now the hiring process will only include a basic interview and a background check. The organization wrote that the other assessments can be done post hire as long as they are completed within a certain time. This process will allow new officers to be hired in as little as three days.

How's it Working Out?

The last three months of 2023 compared to the last three months of 2022 yielded six times more applications (119). For more comparison, in Decemeber 2023 the WDOC got 48 applications, the same month a year prior yielded four.

The training academy has three times as many trainees in January and they've gained five of their former employees since the change.

If you're interested in working for the WDOC you can apply here.

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