Van Buren County looking to fill two correctional officer positions following a long-term retirement and a recent vacancy.
Jail Administrator Jessica Grissom said the facility operates with specific staffing requirements for both day and night shifts. Grissom said maintaining a full roster is necessary to ensure the facility runs smoothly without setting off the established balance of the shifts.
“I feel like we’re just a very good facility to work for,” Grissom said. We’re kind of like a family-oriented, I guess family friends here. We just treat our staff the best we can. We don’t have incentives, because unfortunately we are county government.”
Grissom said one of the open positions must be filled by a male candidate to handle specific duties like strip searches for male inmates.
“Our biggest issue is of course pay because we are county government,” Grissom said. “So in order to give our staff raises, it, you know, has to come down from like the county commission and, you know, we have to have it in our budget to be able to give our staff that raise. So that’s the thing that we struggle with is keeping up with, you know, when you can make more kind of out of town over, we might lose some people to that, but majority of people have stayed here because they lived here and it’s just convenient. You know, it’s 10 minutes from home right here you don’t have to go up and down the mountain.”
Grissom said applicants are required to have a high school diploma and must be able to pass a background check. Grissom said the facility provides on-site training and sends officers to a week-long basic training through TCI.
“We’re rarely understaffed. We usually keep a pretty good staff up here. But like I said, we have somebody that’s retiring after years and years and, and of course the other position that just came open,” Grissom said.
Grissom said the jail does not often face the staffing challenges seen in larger surrounding counties. Grissom said the current openings are unusual because the facility generally benefits from employees who value the short commute and local connection.
“Well, we’re just very, you know, proud of our staff, thankful for the ones that we have. Hopefully we’ll find two that will come in, fit in with us and stay here and have longevity with us,” Jessica Grissom said.
Grissom said training for the new hires will continue throughout the year to ensure staff members are constantly updated on procedures.