'Every day it gets worse': State prison workers detail low morale, high turnover to legislative cmte

'Every day it gets worse': State prison workers detail low morale, high turnover to legislative committee

LINCOLN — It was like two opposite universes Friday at the State Capitol when it came to the status of the state’s troubled prison system.

In the morning, prison security staff provided stern and tearful pleas that more must be done to enhance salaries to address high staff turnover, low morale and safety concerns for State Department of Correctional Services workers.

“It’s going to take someone being killed before the public understands,” said Sgt. Brad Kreifels, who works at the State Penitentiary in Lincoln.

In the afternoon, Corrections Director Scott Frakes outlined several signs of progress in his agency, including expansion of rehabilitation programs, a new 100-bed prison dormitory and a new evaluation tool to guide inmates to needed programs.

Read more: http://www.omaha.com/news/legislature/every-day-it-gets-worse-state-prison-workers-detail-low/article_f2f9899a-b5c8-11e7-834d-9bbb68854c1d.html