90 per cent of prison staff want to quit

More than 90 per cent of prison staff want to quit and a third are actively looking for other jobs, survey findings released today reveal.

A nationwide survey published by the Public Service Association (PSA) today showed 31 per cent of prison staff were actively seeking other employment while 91 per cent wanted to quit the Corrections department.

PSA national secretary Richard Wagstaff said the findings support the union's efforts to improve the quality and pay for prison jobs.

"The Department of Corrections is facing a very large recruitment challenge," he said.

"It needs to recruit 1800 new staff in the next three years to cover for attrition and to staff new prisons as they are commissioned and additional beds within existing prisons.

"The survey of prison staff - Life on the Inside - reveals PSA members are demoralised and feel undervalued and unsafe with most looking for alternative employment. A third of those surveyed are applying for other jobs or talking with recruitment consultants about other work."

Reasons cited for leaving included workplace stress, family unfriendly work hours and the availability of better paid alternative employment, Mr Wagstaff said.

The PSA was committed to working with the department to resolve the issues identified in the survey.

"We will be using the survey in a joint working party being established to review recruitment and retention in the prison service."

- NZPA