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| TDCJ's top 6 unit locations for severe staffing issues |
By Tonya Peters, Backgate Website
Talk around the water coolers, the tun-out rooms and down the halls have all been pointed towards mandatory overtime lately. Severe staffing shortages all over Texas that are only getting worse, and an agency that has been publicly flogged by Legislators and the like for their treatment of staff, corruption woes, and employee safety issues can't seem to attract employees who make it longer then 6 months on the job.
Region III employees are being sent down to work at the McConnell unit in Beeville once a week in what are called second hand, no road worthy state issued vans. Sometimes working 18 hour days including drive time. Is there a better way ? Is it safe for employees ? Add you comments below.
As an H-card officer I've been forced to make that long drive to and from the McConnell unit. We’re told to be at our unit of assignment at 5:00 am and be on the road by 5:30 am, we usually get to McConnell somewhere around 9:30 am and we usually leave around 6:00 pm and arrive back to our unit around 10:00 pm. There have been many concerns pertaining to the vehicles used to drive us there. Most of the vans used have no A/C, wipers, tires that are in really bad condition and an electrical system that randomly cuts out while driving. All of these issues have been brought up to the unit major, who’s only concerned with pleasing the Regional office. Most of the times in which I've worked forced overtime at McConnell I was assigned to give breaks. Now where I really take issue with this whole forced overtime is as an H-card officer I have certain duties in which I am responsible to complete and if they’re not completed in a timely manner I can and will be disciplined. As part of being an H-card officer it is also mandatory that I work visitation at least once a month, which means I must take Monday and Tuesday off and if I just so happen to be scheduled to go to McConnell on either one of my days off (due to working visitation) I’m told to deal with it. Also we’ve been told that if we call-in on the day we’re supposed to go to McConnell we will be placed back onto shift. Those of us who do make that drive know that the agency is not worried about what happens to us while in route to McConnell, their only concerned with how they look.
ReplyDeleteI am glad Im retiring soon, Feel for you guys and gals out there. TDCJ has always protected themselves and screwed the CO's. Keep your chins up and keep watching your 6.
ReplyDeleteI’ve worked over time at the McConnell Unit and they have problems, they are not concerned about the safety of their current staff or any other staff from other units. No wonder everybody is leaving, they aren’t even “reactive to what happens to their staff”. They have had 3 staff assaults within a 3-week period. Wish I didn’t have to work overtime there and then have drive back in state vehicle that is going to break down on the way back.
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