Superintendent reports vacancies fall to about 1.7%; details population, Narcan distribution and staffing plans

The superintendent told the Prince William County Jail Board on March 18, 2022, that the facility’s vacancy rate has fallen dramatically since he took over earlier in the year, dropping from 88 total vacancies (71 sworn; about 21.7 percent) to one sworn vacancy and six civilian openings — roughly a 1.7 percent vacancy rate.

The superintendent said the Human Resources team, led by Captain Cortez, used aggressive recruiting and retention measures — including sign-on and retention bonuses — to reduce vacancies. He credited the HR effort with improving morale and making the jail competitive with neighboring Northern Virginia employers. “So our vacancy count is at 1.7%,” he said. He set a retention goal for the agency: “I’d like to be under 10% for the year.”

The superintendent provided the board with operational numbers. He said the Manassas Complex quarterly average daily population was 529 and gave more granular counts for buildings and monthly transfers to the state system (13 in January, 10 in February). He told the board the complex’s ADP for the past 12 months and highlighted a high daily count of 565 on Jan. 12 and 553 on Feb. 17. He also reported that, since Oct. 19, 2021, the jail had distributed 885 boxes of Narcan and currently has 68 inmates on medication-assisted treatment.

Board members pressed the superintendent on retention and turnover; he acknowledged a small drop in retention of about one to two percentage points compared with the prior year but said the agency has made progress and is monitoring departures to local sheriff and police departments. He noted that other jurisdictions’ pay cycles and budgets can make direct comparisons difficult but said the county is discussing compensation adjustments to stay competitive.

The superintendent described workforce and program status: five staff completed Crisis Intervention Team (CIT) training and seven completed corrections officer school; the work-release program and a module building remain closed but the agency hopes to reopen specialty slots after new academy graduates complete shift training. He invited the board to a graduation next Friday for the largest academy class planned this year.

The board welcomed the new finance director and a newly appointed jail board member during the meeting; members also recognized Captain Kepler for hosting interns and tours of the facility. The superintendent closed his report and invited questions from board members.