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Assault on Corrections Officer Causes ConcernUnion says staffing levels put officers at riskANCHORAGE - A violent assault against a corrections officer in Anchorage Wednesday evening is raising questions about the safety of workers at the Anchorage Correctional Complex. The 26-year-old officer has been identified as Sean Winslow of Chugiak. Troopers said he suffered “serious but non-life threatening injuries.” Other officers said his injuries included a broken jaw. The union that represents correctional officers said staffing and scheduling changes at the Anchorage Complex are putting workers at risk. “We have warned them continually since the staffing cuts and since the blended shift staffing that this type of incident is going to increase, and it has, and it is going to again,’ said long-time corrections officer Matthew Houser. Houser is on the board of the union that represents correctional officers. In April the union wrote a letter to Governor Parnell outlining concerns about recent work changes. The changes meant fewer officers were on duty in the evening and that work shifts were cut from 12 hours to 8. Houser said the result is that new officers, like the one recently assaulted, don’t get the consistent training they need. “Their training is getting bumped around to all these different officers,” said Houser. “And it’s the same thing with the inmates because of the schedule. Instead of having the same officer in charge of the unit they are getting multiple officers every day.” Department of Corrections officials are at odds with the union. They don’t agree there have been multiple assaults against officers since the shift changes went into effect. And they don’t believe the staffing levels or the scheduling changes are unsafe. The union is battling some of the changes in court, which is where the issues may ultimately be resolved. |
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cut from 12 hours to 8 said on Friday, Sep 7 at 11:22 PM
Sure can get more officers at 8 hours a day than 12 hours of pay a day at a good price. So the union is saying they can't supply qualified people? Come now.
101346026Tom Ak said on Saturday, Sep 8 at 11:34 AM
It is easy, if they still cannot behave give them an assault charge and more time in jail. Or send them to the worst facility.
1013792318 or not? said on Saturday, Sep 8 at 9:48 PM
cut from 12 to 8, say again? I dont follow you.
101408895kavik said on Sunday, Sep 9 at 3:04 AM
blame the government not the criminal. know wonder it happened
101417371John said on Sunday, Sep 9 at 10:27 PM
The cut from 12 to 8 hr meants less training for new officer. The new officer have no FTO to train them and there is no time to train. They come in at 0600 to 1400 and the next 8 hrs come in at 1400 to 2200 after that you have a total of 9 officer for 400 inmates. The new officer use to be trained on the night shifts now there is no training for them and there manualare being sighned off and there have not done the training. And the inmate that assaulted the officer murder to other people.
101476956Anonymous said on Tuesday, Sep 11 at 5:29 PM
to inmates it's crew...with 8 hrs you got 3 shifts of people to deal with...with 12 only 2 shifts...do the math and we know those Palin Pals who are the Commish can't do tish on the job...work at what? Being a fraud like Sarah? lol...good job...
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