OAK PARK HEIGHTS, Minn. — The Minnesota Department of Corrections is looking for more officers to staff their three most secure prisons.
The agency is offering a $10,000 sign on bonus for new officers who are willing to work for at least two years of service at their prisons in Stillwater, Rush City and Oak Park Heights.
The bonus will go into effect in September and will be available for officers who sign up for their academies in either September or October.
“I think money talks and that should definitely help things out,” corrections officer Scott Roemer says.
Roemer has been a corrections officer since 2014. He serves a unique role at the Oak Park Heights prison.
Instead of being assigned to a specific zone, or area of the prison, Roemer fills in wherever he’s needed.
“It’s something different every day,” Roemer explains.
He loves his job and says it’s very different than what the average person might think.
“You know, for us, a slow day is a good day,” Roemer says. “Our average day is not filled with the kind of drama and excitement that people might think of.”
Roemer is hoping this new sign on bonus will inspire more people to consider a career with corrections.
He says Oak Park Heights is currently looking for 35 officers, which he says is about 20% of their entire staff. He adds it's the same situation at the prisons in Rush City and Stillwater.
"We all want everyone to just be okay and safe,” Roemer explains.
Safety is a top priority at Oak Park Heights. Four years ago, officer Joseph Parise died in the line of duty at the prison. Prison officials say Parise suffered a heart attack after he stepped in to help a fellow officer who was being attacked by an inmate.
"You always remember a situation like that,” Roemer says.
Roemer says they've learned a lot since then and he feels safe doing the work he does, just like Emily Johnson.
"I am not afraid to work within this career,” Johnson says.
She’s starting to see more women entering the field, but she'd like to see even more.
"If it's not a good fit that's okay, but give it the chance and you might discover an entirely new passion,” Johnson says.
Victor Archibong, a recruiter with corrections, says their biggest challenge is all the misconceptions people have about prisons.
"It's not what you see on TV. It's not what you see in the movies,” Archibong says. "I just like to tell folks when I'm doing recruiting, just come in and see what it's like, there's a role here for everybody."
Besides officers, corrections officials are also looking for nurses, dentists, plumbers, and a slew of other jobs, that all qualify for a $5,000 sign on bonus to get more people in the door.
“There are so many roles and jobs here in the prison,” Roemer says.
Those $5,000 bonuses are available for staff who work at any of the state’s 10 prisons. The $10,000 bonus, however, is only available to corrections officers who agree to work at the prisons in Rush City, Stillwater or Oak Park Heights.
Corrections officials say another perk that corrections officers receive is their pension. Officers who serve a minimum of 10 years with the department can retire at the age of 55 with a full pension.
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