Department of Corrections Personnel Survey: Final Report

Abstract

Education, experience, and training of personnel are frequently used as measures of quality in correctional agencies. This survey of Alaska Department of Corrections (DOC) personnel, conducted in 1984, revealed that employees in all classifications tended to have more than the minimum education or experience required for their positions. Approximately 66 percent of all DOC personnel (N=636) participated in the survey. Of this number, 47.8 percent reported having at least a two-year college degree and 35.1 percent had a four-year degree. Of the corrections-specific respondents to the survey (N=475), more than 40 percent had prior experience in other justice agencies. A comparison of survey responses with position descriptions showed that a substantial proportion of DOC employees had more than the minimum qualifications required. Overall, survey results indicated that Alaska DOC ranked high nationally in measures of personnel quality.