Corrections deputies tell Pierce County Council jail staffing crisis is hurting safety and urging retention bonuses

Several corrections deputies, union representatives and other members of the public urged the Pierce County Council on Jan. 13 to address staffing shortages, facility problems and burnout at the Pierce County jail and to provide retention bonuses.

Shannon Venga, president of the Corrections Deputy Guild, said deputies had expected outreach from the council about a retention bonus and reported sustained mandatory overtime and staff losses. "We have lost 25 people since 2025," Venga said, adding that deputies are "tired" and feel overlooked by the council.

Howard Warren, sergeant at arms for the corrections guild, presented incident and staffing statistics since a meeting about five weeks earlier. He said jail staff wrote "1,053 reports" in that interval, including "116" suicide reports, "26" assaults (four against staff) and 22 medical emergencies leading to roughly 20 hospital transports. Warren said the older jail has flooded repeatedly, toilets have backed up and parts of the facility have had to be propped up temporarily, and that the jail has had lockdowns "nearly every single day because of lack of staff." He asked the council to "fund the sheriff's department correctly" and provide the retention bonus he said deputies deserve.

Merle Pressler, a corrections deputy and guild secretary, told the council that while proclamations honoring children and community are welcomed, deputies who keep the community safe are not being supported. "If you guys really wanna show that you care, I would highly suggest you do something about it because we're tired," Pressler said.

Other public speakers linked the staffing and morale problems to deputy departures and to messaging from county leadership. Judith, an online commenter, criticized a public-service announcement by the sheriff about compliance with officers, saying it read as a public-safety threat rather than a promise of accountability and that the sheriff’s views were driving deputies away.

Council members did not take immediate votes on staffing requests during the meeting. Councilmember Morrell later reminded colleagues of a flood-control meeting the next day; no formal commitment on funding changes or retention bonuses was recorded on Jan. 13.

The council’s next steps were not set at the close of the meeting; speakers requested follow-up and funding for staffing and facility repairs.