Governor Lou Leon Guerrero this afternoon announced that Acting Department of Corrections Director Frank Ishizaki has signed 28 offer letters to potential recruits.
DOC is also working on the re-employment of two or three additional corrections officers.
The lack of guards at the facility has been a major issue for the staff at the prison. In a meeting with the governor last month, DOC officers voiced concerns about their safety because of the staffing shortage.
In a statement from Adelup, the governor said, “This is a significant step forward in meeting our commitment to DOC officers and this community.”
The new employees will undergo eight weeks of training. Funding for the new recruits is coming from DOC’s existing budget.
The governor said the hiring of new officers is one of several goals in the corrective action plan for DOC which includes keeping overtime pay up to date and altering schedules to deter burnout.
The governor also said the new hires provide an opportunity to reactivate the Special Operations Response Team.
That team acts like a SWAT unit to back up guards in dangerous situations.
The disbandment of that unit under former director Samantha Brennan was another major issue raised by the guards.
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