A change in the work schedule at the Calvert County Detention Center was unanimously approved by the Calvert County Commissioners during their Dec. 20 meeting.
The change to an 8.5-hour work schedule was recommended by the detention center’s administration as being more palatable for correctional officers and cost-effective for the county.
“We understand how difficult it is to identify a rotating schedule, which provides 24 hour coverage through an entire year that most of the correctional officers will find appealing,” stated Detention Center Administrator Major T.D. Reece. “We feel it is important to balance the likability of the schedule to the staff with the fiscal responsibilities to the community when identifying a new schedule. We are proposing to change the work schedule to an 8.5-hour work day, working a rotating shift of four work days on and two days off. The ‘four on, two off’ work schedule has zero built in overtime which should lead to an immediate reduction in overtime cost to the county. The schedule does not require an increase in manpower to make the change.”
Reece and the jail’s administrators recommended that the new shift schedule be implemented on a six-month trial basis effective Jan. 2.
“This was not done precipitously,” said Commissioner Susan Shaw [R]. “There has been a lot of discussion with staff at the detention center.”
Shaw theorized the shorter shift time will curb fatigue among correctional officers. “People who are very tired are not as effective and efficient,” she said.
Commissioners’ President Gerald W. “Jerry” Clark [R] explained that even though the detention center is the purview of the sheriff’s office, the board had to sign off on the shift change since the facility’s employees are covered in the commissioners’ personnel manual.
Contact Marty Madden at marty.madden@thebaynet.com
