Harrisburg, PA – Pennsylvania Department of Corrections (DOC) Secretary Dr. Laurel R. Harry announced today the corrections officer vacancy rate dropped to 4.8 percent at the end of January. A lower corrections officer vacancy rate promotes staff, inmate, and community safety and reduces reliance on overtime to fill critical posts inside state correctional institutions. Less overtime not only reduces employee burnout, but also saves taxpayer dollars.
Attracting and retaining qualified corrections officers is a challenge experienced nationwide at all levels of corrections. The DOC created a dedicated Recruitment and Retention Division in late 2022, when the vacancy rate was 10.5 percent. In 2024, DOC recruiters participated in more than 750 job fairs, college and university visits, military and veteran programs, and other community events.
“Everything we do begins with people, and our recruitment and retention team is out in the community virtually every day, engaging with potential applicants to share the benefits and opportunities in the field of corrections,” said Secretary Harry. “"As corrections officer vacancies decrease, our facilities become safer, more cost-effective, and better equipped to meet the needs of the incarcerated population."
The Department of Corrections employs more military veterans than any other Commonwealth agency, and in 2024, the Department took an additional step to attract men and women who have served their country by engaging in the U.S. Army’s Partnership for Your Success (PaYS) program. The initiative guarantees soldiers a job interview with the DOC or another PaYS partner upon completion of their commitment to the Army.
The Department also worked to attract a more diverse workforce last year by lowering the minimum age for corrections officer trainees from 21 to 18 and securing a waiver that allows out-of-state applicants to apply – all while reducing the hiring process by more than ten days.
“Addressing the vacancy rate is a priority of the entire department, and I am proud that we have received nearly 800 referrals from current staff members last year,” said Secretary Harry. “We still have more work to do to continue to bring the vacancy rate down, but this data shows our efforts are paying off, and the successes will become even more apparent as the corrections officer trainees hired in 2024 complete their training and put their skills and talents to use at the facilities they serve.”
Corrections officer trainees receive five weeks of paid training at the DOC Academy in Elizabethtown, Lancaster County, in addition to approximately one year of on-the-job training at their home facility. Starting annual salary is $46,986. Upon completion of training, trainees are promoted to the rank of corrections officer, with a minimum salary of $49,156 per year.
DOC still has approximately 400 open corrections officer positions. For a complete list of open corrections officer trainee positions and to learn more about the benefits of working for the Commonwealth, visit employment.pa.gov. To contact a member of the DOC recruitment team, email docjobs@pa.gov.
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