State Trends

The following information was assembled by compiling and analyzing available data from multiple sources on a state-by-state basis, drawing on information published on state websites as well as records obtained through public information requests.  

Due to inconsistency between how states define and report on various metrics, the information presented below should only be used to broadly understand state and national trends.

‍Nothing presented here should be used to rank or compare states directly to one another.

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Wyoming Department of Corrections

32%

of all state overtime spending in 2024 was driven by WDOC.

20%

of corrections officer positions were vacant as of May 2025.

3rd

largest state agency: 1 out of 10 state employees work for WDOC.

2,420

people incarcerated

18%

turnover in 2024
Wisconsin Department of Corrections

67%

of all state overtime spending in 2024 was driven by WIDOC.

16%

of corrections officer positions were vacant as of May 2025.

1st

largest state agency: 1 out of 3 state employees work for WIDOC.

23,380

people incarcerated

11%

turnover in 2024
Vermont Department of Corrections

49%

of all state overtime spending in 2024 was driven by VDOC.

11%

of corrections officer positions were vacant 2024.

2nd

largest state agency: 1 out of 9 state employees work for VDOC.

1,370

people incarcerated

20%

turnover in 2024
Utah Department of Corrections

44%

of all state overtime spending in 2024 was driven by UDC.

10%

of corrections officer positions were vacant as of June 2025.

3rd

largest state agency: 1 out of 10 state employees work for UDC.

4,510

people incarcerated

9%

turnover in 2024
Texas Department of Criminal Justice

40%

of all state overtime spending in 2024 was driven by TDCJ.

21%

of corrections officer positions were vacant as of April 2025.

2nd

largest state agency: 1 out of 4 state employees work for TDCJ.

134,330

people incarcerated

23%

turnover in 2024
Pennsylvania Department of Corrections

43%

of all state overtime spending in 2024 was driven by PADOC.

5%

of corrections officer positions were vacant as of January 2025.

1st

largest state agency: 1 out of 5 state employees work for PADOC.

38,260

people incarcerated

12%

turnover in 2024
Oregon Department of Corrections

24%

of all state overtime spending in 2024 was driven by ODOC.

9%

of corrections officer positions were vacant as of June 2025.

4th

largest state agency: 1 out of 10 state employees work for ODOC.

12,020

people incarcerated

9%

turnover in 2024
Oklahoma Department of Corrections

48%

of all state overtime spending in 2024 was driven by ODOC.

19%

of corrections officer positions were vacant as of June 2025.

2nd

largest state agency: 1 out of 7 state employees work for ODOC.

22,690

people incarcerated

24%

turnover among corrections officers in 2024
North Dakota Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation

23%

of all state overtime spending in 2024 was driven by DOCR.

5%

of DOCR positions were vacant in 2024.

3rd

largest state agency: 1 out of 10 state employees work for DOCR.

2,040

people incarcerated

19%

turnover in 2024
New York Department of Corrections and Community Supervision

38%

of all state overtime spending in 2024 was driven by DOCCS.

1,000

fewer corrections officer positions were filled at DOCCS in 2024 than in 2023.

1st

largest state agency: 1 out of 5 state employees work for DOCCS.

33,680

people incarcerated

10%

turnover among corrections officers in 2024
New Mexico Corrections Department

29%

of all state overtime spending in 2024 was driven by NMCD.

26%

of corrections officer positions were vacant as of June 2025.

4th

largest state agency: 1 out of 10 state employees work for NMCD.

5,860

people incarcerated

15%

turnover among corrections officers in 2024
New Jersey Department of Corrections

42%

of all state overtime spending in 2024 was driven by NJDOC.

17%

of corrections officer positions were vacant as of May 2025.

4th

largest state agency: 1 out of 9 state employees work for NJDOC.

11,670

people incarcerated

10%

turnover in 2024
New Hampshire Department of Corrections

40%

of all state overtime spending in 2024 was driven by NHDOC.

43%

of corrections officer positions were vacant as of June 2025.

4th

largest state agency: 1 out of 13 state employees work for NHDOC.

1,850

people incarcerated

6%

turnover in 2024
Nevada Department of Corrections

47%

of all state overtime spending in 2024 was driven by NDOC.

19%

of corrections officer positions were vacant as of July 2025.

2nd

largest state agency: 1 out of 7 state employees work for NDOC.

10,540

people incarcerated

12%

turnover in 2024
Nebraska Department of Correctional Services

38%

of all state overtime spending in 2023 was driven by NDCS.

13%

of corrections officer positions were vacant as of June 2024.

2nd

largest state agency: 1 out of 8 state employees work for NDCS.

5,870

people incarcerated

16%

turnover in 2023
Minnesota Department of Corrections

24%

of all state overtime spending in 2024 was driven by MNDOC.

13%

of corrections officer positions were vacant as of March 2024.

3rd

largest state agency: 1 out of 9 state employees work for MNDOC.

8,070

people incarcerated

10%

turnover in 2024
Massachusetts Department of Corrections

11%

of all state overtime spending in 2024 was driven by MADOC.

19%

of corrections officer positions were vacant as of July 2025.

4th

largest state agency: 1 out of 10 state employees work for MADOC.

6,170

people incarcerated

6%

turnover in 2024
Maryland Department of Public Safety and Correctional Services

47%

of all state overtime spending in 2024 was driven by DPSCS.

10%

of corrections officer positions were vacant as of June 2025.

3rd

largest state agency: 1 out of 7 state employees work for DPSCS.

17,875

people incarcerated

8%

turnover in 2024
Louisiana Department of Public Safety & Corrections – Corrections Services

27%

of all state overtime spending in 2024 was driven by DPSC-CS.

203%

of corrections cadet positions turned over in 2024.

2nd

largest state agency: 1 out of 7 state employees work for DPSC-CS.

29,140

people incarcerated

35%

turnover in 2024
Kansas Department of Corrections

38%

of all state overtime spending in 2023 was driven by KDOC.

9%

of corrections officer positions were vacant as of July 2024.

1st

largest state agency: 1 out of 7 state employees work for KDOC.

8,920

people incarcerated

35%

turnover in 2024
Idaho Department of Corrections

29%

of all state overtime spending in 2024 was driven by IDOC.

2.6%

of corrections officer positions were vacant as of July 2025.

2nd

largest state agency: 1 out of 7 state employees work for IDOC.

9,650

people incarcerated

21%

turnover in 2024
Georgia Department of Corrections

$51.6M

amount GDC spent in overtime in 2024

51%

of corrections officer positions were vacant in 2024.

2nd

largest state agency: 1 out of 7 state employees work for GDC.

49,070

people incarcerated

26%

turnover in 2024
Florida Department of Corrections

48%

of all state overtime spending in 2024 was driven by FDC.

9%

of corrections officer positions were vacant as of July 2024.

1st

largest state agency: 1 out of 5 state employees work for FDC.

87,300

people incarcerated

30%

turnover in 2024
Connecticut Department of Corrections

36%

of all state overtime spending in 2024 was driven by CDOC.

9%

of corrections officer positions were vacant as of May 2025.

1st

largest state agency: 1 out of 5 state employees work for CDOC.

10,860

people incarcerated

5%

turnover among corrections officers in 2024
Colorado Department of Corrections

45%

of all state overtime spending in 2024 was driven by CDOC.

10%

of corrections officer positions were vacant as of June 2025.

1st

largest state agency: 1 out of 5 state employees work for CDOC.

15,89

people incarcerated

18%

turnover in 2024
Arizona Department of Corrections, Rehabilitation, and Reentry

60%

of all state overtime spending in 2024 was driven by ADCRR.

18%

of corrections officer positions were vacant as of September 2024.

2nd

largest state agency: 1 out of 4 state employees work for ADCRR.

35,150

people incarcerated

17%

turnover in 2024
Alaska Department of Corrections

29%

of all state overtime spending in 2024 was driven by ADOC.

6%

of corrections officer positions were vacant as of April 2025.

2nd

largest state agency: 1 out of 8 state employees work for ADOC

4,420

people incarcerated

13%

turnover in 2024
Michigan Department of Corrections

50%

of all state overtime spending in 2024 was driven by MDOC.

17%

of corrections officer positions were vacant as of February 2025.

2nd

largest state agency: 1 out of 5 state employees work for MDOC.

32,790

people incarcerated

12%

turnover in 2024

Why this data matters  

Each of these findings sheds light on how the corrections system is functioning in this state. Staffing levels, turnover, and overtime shape the daily experience of corrections staff and incarcerated people.

What more data could tell us

Collecting the measures shown here are only the start. With more reliable information, corrections directors could analyze the data over time to answer key questions such as:

  1. How many corrections officer positions are currently vacant — and how has that number changed over time?
  2. What is the average length of service for new hires? How does it compare to past cohorts?
  3. What are the top reasons employees give for leaving — and how do those reasons vary by facility or role?
  4. How much is the agency spending on overtime — and how is that overtime distributed across facilities?
  5. How long does it take to fill a vacancy, and how often do recruits complete training and stay at least one year on the job?

Better data would allow leaders to see where risks are growing and identify what strategies can lead to lasting improvement.

‍

This project was supported by Grant No. 15PBJA-23-GK-05377-MUMU awarded by the Bureau of Justice Assistance.  The Bureau of Justice Assistance is a component of the U.S. Department of Justice’s Office of Justice Programs, which also includes the Bureau of Justice Statistics, the National Institute of Justice, the Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention, the Office for Victims of Crime, and the SMART Office.  Points of view or opinions in this document are those of the author and do not necessarily represent the official position or policies of the U.S. Department of Justice.

Additional support for this effort has been provided by Arnold Ventures and is conducted in partnership with the Correctional Leaders Association.

Photography and images courtesy of the Florida Department of Corrections (FDC), North Carolina Department of Adult Correction (NCDAC), and Texas Department of Criminal Justice (TDCJ), unless otherwise noted.