Delaware County jail again short on corrections officers

Delaware County is once again seeing a staffing shortage at the county jail.

On Tuesday, Delaware County Sheriff’s Department financial officer Nancy Marvin told the county council that there are 10 openings at the jail.

“One more will make us an entire shift.  Thus, next month you’ll see me transferring all the excess salaries into overtime.  [Being] short people makes us having to work everybody else over.”

Though Marvin says employment numbers at the jail fluctuate, having staff shortages is a reoccurring trend.  In 2021, the sheriff’s department spent more than $100,000 in overtime pay to cover short staffing.  In the spring of 2022, the department told the county council it was short 12 correctional officers.

The sheriff’s department is advertising corrections officer jobs with a salary of $38,166 with benefits.  According to data from the Indiana Department of Corrections, that’s slightly higher than the midpoint salary across the state.  The maximum salary for a corrections officer that has completed training is $47,190.