1 week Ago
Gov. Mike Braun wants the Indiana Department of Correction to do a better job keeping its workforce — the largest of any state agency — including the hundreds of employees at two state prisons located in LaPorte County. The Republican chief executive recently directed DOC Commissioner Lloyd Arnold to set quarterly benchmarks for employee turnover broken down by prison facility and shift, evaluate the effectiveness of new employee onboarding procedures, and to develop a comprehensive employee retention plan.
Arnold must also detail for the governor by June 30, 2026, the factors the DOC believes contribute to employee turnover, the steps the agency is taking to improve retention, and any progress that's been made toward reducing voluntary employee departures. "Our corrections officers have a really tough job, and do it exceptionally well," Braun said upon issuing Executive Order 25-47 . "I'm taking action to make sure we retain our great correctional employees with a comprehensive approach to employee retention: we'll be improving training, listening to employees' feedback on their work environment and leadership effectiveness, and using data to identify high turnover areas where we can improve.
" DOC data show in February there were some 6,100 current employees and nearly 1,200 open positions at the 21 prison facilities statewide that are home to more than 25,000 offenders. The 2,486-bed Indiana State Prison in Michigan City was at 97.1% capacity that month while the 3,014-bed Westville Correctional Facility was at 91.
7%. The two LaPorte County prisons are scheduled to be consolidated in 2027 into the 4,200-bed, $1.2 billion Northwest Indiana Correctional Facility currently under construction in Westville.
Braun also issued a second executive order commanding Arnold to undertake a comprehensive evaluation of factors that lead to housing instability and unemployment after incarcerated individuals leave a state prison facility, and what DOC can do to smooth the re-entry process. "Hoosiers are safer when inmates have a clear pathway toward gainful employment and stable housing after they are released. This executive order aims to lower the reoffending rate by helping formerly incarcerated individuals find work and avoid homelessness," Braun said.
Data show 1,206 individuals were released from Indiana prison facilities in February and 610 people were admitted or readmitted..
