As the 21st century unfolds, American jails are confronting unprecedented challenges. While both the numbers and the demands of their populations have steadily grown, their resources have not kept pace. As a result, perhaps at no other time have jails been in greater need of capable staff and confident leadership. Yet within just a few years, retirements are expected to seriously diminish the ranks of managers, supervisors, and experienced line employees who are now staffing America’s jails. Add to that their ongoing struggle to recruit and retain well-qualified workers whose importance to the welfare of the community is often unappreciated, and it becomes clear why jail leaders throughout the country recently elevated workforce-related issues to a top national priority.
