The Virginia Department of Corrections employs more than 11,000 people across the state in positions ranging from nurses and communications staff to corrections officers. But the department has more than 2,400 open positions, according to a document it shared with Virginia Public Radio.
Those openings include more than 450 positions at the Greensville Correctional Center— a 47% vacancy rate. The Southside facility was where the state carried out executions, though the practice was abolished in 2021.
VADOC spokesperson Kyle Gibson didn’t respond to multiple emails seeking additional information about what jobs the openings are for.
William Schultz worked as a corrections officer in Canada for five years and is a professor at MacEwan University, where his research focuses on the carceral system.
“When you look at these numbers … you've got a problem here,” Schultz said after looking at the VADOC spreadsheet detailing its vacancies.
But, he added: “This isn't just a Virginia thing.”
Schultz and Rosemary Ricciardelli — a sociology and criminology professor — reviewed a wealth of research focused on the health of corrections officers. Both said COs have a significantly higher instance of mental health issues than the general public. It’s a difficult position to fill — and retain, they said.
Part of the issue, Riccardelli said, are the competing visions for how the prison system should work.
“An officer told me, 50% of people want you to be a goon with a baton harming these horrible villains,” she said. “The other 50% want you to be rehabilitative and caring for their loved one. So, no matter who you are, half the world doesn't like you.”
Last year, Director Chadwick Dotson applauded efforts to attract veterans to VADOC, comparing the dedication necessary to serve in the military to what’s needed at the department. But from 2023 to 2024, representation of veterans as a percent of the workforce declined, according to information on the department’s website.
VADOC’s also incarcerating fewer people, a trend that can be traced back to 2021 — though year over year numbers for July were roughly the same as 2023.
This report, provided by Virginia Public Radio, was made possible with support from the Virginia Education Association.