Head of Nebraska Prisons Says Staffing Shortage A Real Problem, Getting Worse
By Jack Williams 
, Managing Editor and Reporter Nebraska Public Media News
June 30, 2021, 4 p.m. ·
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A prison staffing emergency is forcing Nebraska corrections officials to move to 12-hour shifts at two Lincoln-area facilities. The head of prisons in the state said this week a tight labor market is making it tough for him to hire anyone.
Scott Frakes is the director of the Nebraska Department of Correctional Services and said he’s missing about 25% of the prison guards he needs to operate efficiently and has lost around 100 people over the past three months.
“If this trend we’ve seen the last three months continues through the end of the year, we’re going to be in a pretty difficult place, especially in our higher-security facilities,” Frakes said.
Around 150 guards at the Lincoln Correctional Center and the Diagnostic and Evaluation Center have started 12-hour shifts, four days a week. Frakes said it’s the only way to cover the staffing shortage the system has been dealing with for several years. Even bonuses and other incentives haven’t done much to put a dent in the problem. Frakes said they’re still looking for new ways to attract people.
“Making sure that our recruitment efforts are targeted and smart,” Frakes said. “Making sure that we’re looking for ways to be as flexible as possible while acknowledging we’ve got to have 24/7 coverage because we don’t ever get to stop doing the work that we do.”
Frakes said retirements, the state’s low unemployment rate and the pandemic have all been factors in the labor shortage, but is optimistic things will get better.
“I’m knocking on wood, I’m crossing my fingers that we’ll see a settling of the labor market,” Frakes said. “I think we’re going to see all those people that have been out on benefits, most of them returning into the workforce. Hopefully that will bring some more people that are interested. One way or the other, we will make it work. We always do.”
He said prisons have had to go into emergency staffing modes several times this year, which often means inmates aren’t allowed to move around the facilities.