LINCOLN- The Nebraska Department of Corrections, which has struggled for years with high turnover, projects that the turnover rate among guards will be cut in half.

On Tuesday, Director of Corrections Scott Frakes stated that turnover rates are expected to fall to 18% by the end of the year, the lowest it's been in almost a decade.

Turnover in 2018 went as high as 34%, but improved mid-contract pay raises, which were introduced last November, have helped lower that number.

The agency has also begun offering hiring bonuses for security staff, nurses, and food service workers, some going as high as $15,000.

"We are encouraged by the continued interest from those who are relocating from other states," said Frakes, "Our training classes continue to include high numbers of individuals with prior law enforcement, corrections, and military backgrounds, which suits our needs very well."

However, a report from the Inspector General for Corrections Office indicated that overtime costs are still very high at Tecumseh State Prison and the Reception and Treatment Center in Lincoln. Last year, the Department of Corrections paid over $22 million in overtime to their overworked employees.

Another concern the Department is facing is a lack of medical staff in Nebraska prisons, including nurses and dentists. In June, almost 40% of health service jobs were vacant.

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