Tennessee corrections officials offering sign-on bonuses to recruit new prison officers

The Tennessee Department of Correction is offering $5,000 sign-on bonuses in an effort to build the population of officers in state prisons.

While the newest recruits would receive their bonus over an 18-month period, the state will pay $4,000 incentives to veteran employees to try and retain qualified staff.

Correction Commissioner Tony Parker said Tennessee is experiencing the same challenges as other states with filling vacancies in jobs related to law enforcement although the DOC’s turnover of workers was a five-year low last fiscal year.

(IMAGE: TDOC)