Allegheny County Jail short over 100 corrections officers and half of health care positions, audit finds

PITTSBURGH (KDKA) -- The Allegheny County Jail is short over 100 corrections officers and half of the health care positions are empty, an audit found. 

As of Sept. 30 of last year, an audit from the Allegheny County controller's office released Wednesday said there were about 377 corrections officers employed at the jail. To cover all the shifts without overtime, 504 officers would be needed. 

Currently, 38% of corrections officers need to work overtime every day, the audit found. More than $8.9 million was paid for overtime in 2021 and almost $6.8 million between January and September of last year, which, according to the audit, accounts for more than a quarter of total pay.

On each of the 18 days examined, the audit said there weren't enough corrections officers to cover all the shifts even before anyone called off. 

Auditors recommend moving away from a manual scheduling system and towards an electronic one, adopting stress management and wellness programs and increasing recruitment efforts in counties around Allegheny County.

The jail budgeted a total of 146 health care positions but auditors found 84 were vacant by the end of last year. For provider services like doctors and physician assistants, the audit said the county contracts with Allegheny Health Network. The rest of the positions are filled by the county or through temp agencies. 

Understaffing in some positions was "particularly acute," the audit found. For example, all eight budgeted therapist positions were vacant at year-end.  

"Hiring is a challenge across employment sectors currently, and staffing a stressful, 24-7 operation like the Jail is even more difficult," Allegheny County Controller Corey O'Connor said in a news release. "As the County transitions to a new administration and a new warden, it must devise new strategies to attract and retain staff for the Jail. I hope our audit provides a basis for discussions that will lead to long overdue solutions to address these shortages."

Allegheny County Jail Warden Orlando Harper is retiring at the end of September. The Fitzgerald administration and President Judge Kim Berkeley Clark will work in tandem to identify a search firm that will be tasked with identifying candidates for the incoming county executive.