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Kansas corrections chief tells committee pay increases and new recruiting cut uniform vacancies nearly in half
Summary
Kansas Department of Corrections officials told the House Committee on Corrections and Juvenile Justice on Jan. 14 that pay increases and a new recruitment vendor have substantially reduced uniform vacancies since the pandemic, but turnover and a relatively inexperienced workforce remain challenges.
Secretary Zamuda of the Kansas Department of Corrections told the House Committee on Corrections and Juvenile Justice on Jan. 14 that wage increases and a targeted recruitment campaign have reduced uniform staffing vacancies from roughly 470 in January 2022 to about 210 today.
He said the department has 3,476.5 authorized positions and that vacancies in uniform security posts dropped after pay increases implemented in 2022, July 2023 and July 2024. "We had 470 uniform vacancies...Today we have about 210 uniform vacancies. That's 11% of our uniform workforce compared to that 26% high that we experienced back during the pandemic," Zamuda told the committee.
The reduction came after the department contracted with a national recruitment vendor to run digital outreach and move candidates into an interview pipeline. The department reported a hire cost of roughly $1,835 per new hire through that process and said the vendor has accelerated scheduling and follow-up for potential recruits.
Nut graf: Committee members heard that improved pay and an active recruitment campaign have materially eased staffing pressures at Kansas correctional facilities, but leaders warned retention and experience levels remain barriers to long-term stability.
The presentation included several workforce details: 63% of KDOC employees are men and 37% women; the department recorded a uniform turnover rate of about 35% for July 2023–July 2024; and 58% of correctional officers have two years or less experience. Secretary Zamuda emphasized retention and workplace environment as next priorities: physical conditions, equipment, culture and centralized training.
Keith Bradshaw, KDOC executive director of contracts and finance, joined the briefing and answered budget and program questions during the Q&A. Committee members pressed for more detail on how resident workers are paid; Zamuda said residents assigned to community work-release programs are paid market wages and that work-release residents typically pay about 25% of their earnings back to the facility to offset operating costs. The department also maintains a forced-savings program to help residents have funds for rent and transportation upon release.
Committee members also heard that the department will roll out upgraded uniforms funded in the current budget cycle and continue investments to make facilities and staffing more sustainable. "We've got to do a better job creating the right environment for people. We've got to get our experience level up," Zamuda said.
Ending: Committee members thanked the secretary for the briefing and said they would follow staffing and retention indicators as the session continues. No formal actions or votes were taken during the presentation.
