Corrections_Today_Spring_2026_Vol.88_No.1

I n the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, correctional departments across the U.S. booming housing market, low unemployment rates and comparatively low wages made recruiting correctional officers exceptionally challenging. The Idaho Department of Correction (IDOC) faced a 22% vacancy rate in its correctional officer ranks by mid-2021 and recruitment strategies such as traditional job fairs were falling short. These job fairs often required a full day of staff time and yielded only two or three applications, an unsustainable approach in the face of growing vacancies. This is the story of how a high-performing team at IDOC, with the support of expert consultants, turned the tide and reduced the vacancy rate by over 70% within 18 months and sustained success for two years. While the journey was filled with setbacks, persistence and hard lessons learned, the collective effort resulted in a far more resilient team and a more effective approach to solving staffing challenges. Group structure and expectations At the outset, IDOC’s approach to recruiting and retaining correctional officers was fragmented, with separate teams working on recruitment, retention and data analysis. Initially, we formed three distinct work ing groups but quickly recognized the inefficiencies. Decision-making was slow, overlapping efforts caused confusion, and progress was limited. After two months, we restructured into a smaller, more focused team with a single, clear goal: to reduce vacancy rates by attracting and retaining mission-driven correctional officers. We called our team “The Resistance,” inspired by the Star Wars rebels, and we adopted the mantra “Resist the status quo.” This mindset was key, as we prioritized cre ative, out-of-the-box thinking and broke from traditional practices. The team was diverse, including the deputy chief of prisons, a probation and parole district manager, a project manager and a human resources supervisor. Later, we also brought in an employee engagement man ager to focus on retention. Importantly, team members were not selected for their subject matter expertise in hiring or HR, but for their critical thinking, agility and passion for solving complex faced historic staffing shortages. In Idaho, the combination of pandemic-related uncertainty, a

problems. This allowed us to challenge long-standing as sumptions and foster fresh and innovative ideas. We established clear expectations that each team member would dedicate at least 25% of their time to the project. Early on, this increased to nearly 50% as we worked to overhaul the system. I, as the project leader, emphasized leadership distribution, creating a col laborative environment where all team members were empowered to take ownership of tasks using the MO CHA framework (Manager, Owner, Consultant, Helper and Approver). This structure emphasized role clarity and allowed us to hold each other accountable while ensuring transparency and inclusivity through tools like Microsoft Teams. Importantly, team members were not selected for their subject matter expertise in hiring or HR, but for their critical thinking, agility and passion for solving complex problems. Building trust within the team was essential. We began by evaluating our communication styles, which helped us adapt to each other’s needs and manage stress effectively. Regular reflection sessions enabled us to cele brate small victories, address setbacks and maintain high morale. As we progressed, the team’s collaborative spirit grew stronger, even when results were slow to appear. One member noted that “none of us were resident experts in recruiting or retention … which forced us to think differently and challenge ineffective norms.” Another said, “We were encouraged to break out of the ‘what’s possible’ bubble and think boldly.” The changes we made While considering all aspects of the recruiting pro cess, we discovered that most often we were getting in

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Spring 2026 | Corrections Today

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