Prison Guards 'Leaving in Droves' to Join ICE

The Federal Bureau of Prisons is facing an unprecedented staffing crisis as corrections officers leave in large numbers for higher-paying jobs at Immigration and Customs Enforcement. Lured by $50,000 signing bonuses and tuition reimbursement, hundreds of prison staffers have made the jump, leaving federal lockups dangerously understaffed, ProPublica reports. An official with the prison workers union summed things up: "We're broken and we're being poached by ICE." The official added: "It's unbelievable. People are leaving in droves."

According to prison data seen by ProPublica, the BOP has lost at least 1,400 more staff than it hired this year. "At first it seemed like it was going to be no big deal, and then over the last week or so we already lost five, and then we have another 10 to 15 in various stages of waiting for a start date," a worker at a low-security facility told ProPublica last month. "For us that's almost 20% of our custody staff." With staffing levels at what agency leadership calls "catastrophic" lows, teachers and medical staff are routinely pulled from their regular duties to serve as corrections officers, further reducing services for inmates and increasing risks for everyone inside.

The BOP has tried to stem the tide with signing bonuses and accelerated hiring, but a stagnant budget and rising costs have forced the agency to cut operating budgets by 20%. The situation has led to dire conditions in prisons nationwide, with shortages of basic supplies like food, soap, and toilet paper. "You have to literally go around carrying your own roll of toilet paper," said a Texas officer. "No paper towels, you have to bring your own stuff. No soap." Some facilities are falling behind on utility bills and have come close to running out of food, according to Brandy Moore White, national president of the prison workers union.

Earlier this year, White told ProPublica that the pandemic and previous government shutdowns had resulted in many workers leaving the BOP, but those departures tended to involve workers near the end of their careers. "This is, from what I can remember, the biggest exodus of younger staff, staff who are not retirement-eligible," she said. "And that's super concerning to me."