New 'lateral class' program offers promise for Metro Corrections' staffing woes

GOOD EVENING. I’M LOUISVILLE METRO CORRECTIONS, ITS FIRST CLASS OF LATERAL. THEY HAVE A COMBINED 82 YEARS OF EXPERIENCE AS WLKY AS MARK VANDERHOFF EXPLAINS. IT’S PART OF THE ONGOING EFFORT TO HIRE MORE CORRECTIONS OFFICERS TO ADDRESS MASSIVE SHORTAGE. THIS IS A NEW MODEL LOUISVILLE METRO CORRECTIONS DESIGNED JUST TO GET MORE OFFICERS INTO BUILDING, BUT TO GIVE IT MORE EXPERIENCE. OFFICER TUNISIA. SUTTON TANISHA SUTTON BRINGS TEN YEARS OF EXPERIENCE FROM RIKERS ISLAND, NEW YORK, TO LOUISVILLE METRO CORRECTIONS. THEY DON’T TAKE IT EASY ON US. NOT AT DAY. I THINK THEY’RE HARDER ON US BECAUSE OF OUR EXPERIENCE. SO THEY TO MAKE SURE WE GET IT RIGHT, THE FIRST EVER LATERAL CLASS, FOUR WEEKS AS OPPOSED TO 12 WEEKS FOR NEW RECRUITS. NO EXPERIENCE. SO WE’RE GETTING FASTER. WE’RE GETTING MORE EXPERIENCED PEOPLE WHO SOMETIMES YOU THINK YOU WANT TO GET INVOLVED IN THE CORRECTIONS FIELD UNTIL YOU GET IN AND START DOING IT. AND THEN YOU REALIZE MAYBE IT’S NOT FOR YOU. THESE FOLKS HAVE BEEN IN IT FOR YEARS. THEY KNOW WHAT THEY’RE GETTING INTO. THE JAIL IS STILL SHORT. 80 OFFICERS, BUT THAT’S DOWN FROM A OF 140 OFFICERS AT THE START OF THE YEAR. THE EXPERIENCE THAT SHE BRINGS THAT THIS CLASS BRINGS ME IT’S ALMOST INVALUABLE. YOU CAN’T REALLY PUT A NUMBER ON IT BECAUSE THERE’S NO TELLING WHAT THE IS GOING TO HOLD FOR HER OR FOR ANYBODY ELSE IN THIS CLASS. I MEAN, IN A COUPLE OF YEARS, THEY COULD BE RUNNING THIS PLACE. METRO CORRECTIONS FOP PRESIDENT DANIEL JOHNSON. AN 8% PAY RAISE APPROVED LAST JANUARY. SUTTON ONE THING THAT ATTRACTED HER TO LOUISVILLE CORRECTIONS WAS A NEW PROGRAM FOR OFFICER WELL-BEING. I TO SEE MORE MENTAL HEALTH FOR CORRECTIONAL OFFICERS, NOT JUST HERE BUT ACROSS THE COUNTRY BECAUSE THEY DON’T GET THE HELP THAT THEY NEED IN ALL THIS CLASS OF TRANSFERS BRINGS A COMBINED 82 YEARS OF EXPERIENCE WITH THEM JUST LEARNING NEW THINGS BECAUSE I’M PRETTY SURE THEY HAVE THINGS PLACE THAT NEW YORK MIGHT NOT HAVE OR THEY MIGHT DO SOME THINGS. MARK VANDERHOFF. WLKY NEWS. ANOTHER LATERAL CLASS OF TRANSFERS STARTS NEXT MONTH AND A

Tanisha Sutton left her hometown of New York City and her job of ten years at Rikers Island to come to Louisville Metro Department Corrections. She's one of six graduates of LMDC's first-ever "lateral class," a training program for experienced corrections officers that lasts four weeks, instead of the 12 weeks for new recruits with no corrections experience."They don't take it easy on us," Sutton said of the streamlined program. "I think they're harder on us because of our experience. They want to make sure we get it right."Jail officials hope the new program could help them address an officer shortage, which has shrunk from 140 vacancies in January to 80 this month. FOP President Daniel Johnson credits an 8% pay raise approved in January."So we're getting it faster, we're getting more experienced people," he said. "Sometimes you think you want to get involved in the corrections field until you get in and start doing it and then you realize maybe it's not for you. These folks have been in it for years, they know what they're getting into."Seven more transfers are scheduled to start the second lateral class next month and there is currently a class of 17 new recruits about to graduate, Johnson said.

LOUISVILLE, Ky. —

Tanisha Sutton left her hometown of New York City and her job of ten years at Rikers Island to come to Louisville Metro Department Corrections.

She's one of six graduates of LMDC's first-ever "lateral class," a training program for experienced corrections officers that lasts four weeks, instead of the 12 weeks for new recruits with no corrections experience.

"They don't take it easy on us," Sutton said of the streamlined program. "I think they're harder on us because of our experience. They want to make sure we get it right."

Jail officials hope the new program could help them address an officer shortage, which has shrunk from 140 vacancies in January to 80 this month.

FOP President Daniel Johnson credits an 8% pay raise approved in January.

"So we're getting it faster, we're getting more experienced people," he said. "Sometimes you think you want to get involved in the corrections field until you get in and start doing it and then you realize maybe it's not for you. These folks have been in it for years, they know what they're getting into."

Seven more transfers are scheduled to start the second lateral class next month and there is currently a class of 17 new recruits about to graduate, Johnson said.

New 'lateral class' program offers promise for Metro Corrections' staffing woes

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