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85 reviews

Corrections Corporation of America Employer Reviews

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Eden Detention Center, Eden, Tx
Correctional Officer (Current Employee), Eden, TX – May 4, 2013
Pros: health ins
Cons: unacceptable highturnover, extremely low morale, favortism, nepotism & cronyism
Poorly managed from the Warden down to the Supervisory level.
As a manager, one of your responsibilities is to recognize problems and work to improve conditions, morale and overall functioning of an operation. The management staff at EDC fails to recognize areas that are deficient and strive to make improvements. I have been here a long time and the – more... problems that existed from day one still exists. Turnover is extremely high and is not only unacceptable but is managements refusal to recognize and positvely address the problem. Why is turnover so high? Low morale due to poor work conditions, sorry supervisors who micro manage and who lack the minimum skills required to interact properly with employees, assistant wardens who fail to ensure that supervisors are selected that have the ability to build team relationships and have no clue why morale is poor and finally the Warden, nice guy, but the person who should require his assistant warden's are doing their jobs is totally out of touch with what is actually going on in the facility. How can you for years allow the problems to exist and not seek a solution? Is it because he is incompetent as a manager or is it because he justifies the turnover as acceptable because it is an industry standard. Baloney!! The causes of high turnover and low morale should never be acceptable, if you pride yourself on being a "good manager". This is just the tip of the iceberg. Favortism, nepotism, cronyism has been allowed to flourish to the detriment of the correctional officers that work here. We are fed an up and disgusted because the Warden doesn't care about us, the CO's... – less
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Worst place I have ever worked
RN (Former Employee), Nashville, TN – April 25, 2013
Pros: co workers were awesome.
Cons: very bad management from medical to the officers
I was a RN here for a year. C/O's some would not do their job by keeping inmates in line and even leaving you in the Sally port with 10-12 inmates by yourself while trying to conduct pill call. Very dangerous environment. Did not feel safe at all!! The C/O who did this also got a promotion. Let me make myself clear not all c/O's were like this. Some – more... were very good at their jobs and followed policy and procedures but they were eventually fired.. Hmmm so go figure. HSA and nursing supervisor would not take care of problems, just swept it under the rug. Nurses stay away if you value your license. – less
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A place to be alert all the time...
Detention Officer (Former Employee), Laredo, Tx – April 18, 2013
Pros: you learn a lot of expierences.
Cons: the long hours at work, at times i felt over worked...
A typical day a CCA. I would always go with the mentality of what is going to happend today. Is someone going to get into a scuffel? Will there be an emergency code going on? I learned that my co-workers were always around when I needed assistance. The hardest part of the job was staying really long hours. The most enjoyable part was the different characters – more... that I would have to be through out my shift. – less
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Outstanding place to work.
CORRECTIONAL OFFICER (Former Employee), Tulsa, OK – April 12, 2013
Pros: co workers, environment, support structure.
Cons: long hours.
It was hard work, but the professionalism of this corporation was top notch. The supervision was very well versed in the business of private corrections, and the training I got as a new officer was on par with the training I had received previously from a public entity. Benefits were excellent, as was pay.
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You're paid well, but management is poor
Corrections Counselor (Current Employee), Eloy, AZ – April 9, 2013
Pros: good pay, decent benefits
Cons: management, no consideration for your personal life.
Having worked for Corrections Corporation of America for 10 years, I believe I'll be able to write a helpful review for anyone considering CCA as a career option. Over my 10 years with the company I have worked at several different facilities.

First, if you've never worked in corrections before I would suggest considering if it is truly an environment – more... you'd like to work in. You will be working with felons, they're not boy scout. Over the last 10 years I've been in more fights then I can remember. I've been punched, kicked, headbutted, and spit on. I have also been hit with broom sticks, trash cans, and even an ice chest. This is all part of corrections, sometimes these types of things happen. I knew this and accepted it when i chose to accept my position. Corrections is not for everyone, there's no shame in admitting that it's not for you.

Ok, now to talk about CCA in general. Over 10 years I've noticed a trend in management. Most of your upper level management have promoted all the way from Correctional Officer on up. This is great for promotion opportunity, however it means that the management have learned by managing inmates and not staff. This leads to management attempting to manage their staff like they do inmates, by barking orders and threatening. If management ever has an issue with you, be prepared to be "treated like an inmate" by being sworn at, degraded and threatened in general. I have worked for a few managers in my 10 years that do make honest efforts to manage their staff properly, unfortunately they are a minority in CCA.

On the positive side, many of the employees that I have worked with are great people. The corrections environment will allow you to create close bonds with fellow employees. When I leave CCA I will miss many of them. – less
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Management In disorder.
Corrections Officer (Former Employee), Quincy, FL – April 8, 2013
Pros: correctional officers well trained
Cons: long hours with few rewards
Workplace environment not well organized. Management should have better training in all aspects of the correction concepts
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High turnover
Correctional Officer (Former Employee), Burlington, CO – April 7, 2013
Pros: the pay, free lunch, plenty to do
Cons: staff, lack of job security
I was assaulted by another staff member and my supervisors did nothing. Had I been the one to hit the other staff member, I would have been fired on the spot. They only mentioned it after a month, just to touch base with me on the subject. I really enjoyed having plenty of work to do and the pay was decent. I just disliked the sour disposition of my – more... coworkers and I lacked faith in my supervisors. – less
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Worse Job Ever!
Officer (Former Employee), GA – March 29, 2013
Pros: paid time off
Cons: everything else
You are lured in by CCA being a caring company that considers their employees family and treats them to the "extra stuff"-free gifts and lunches etc and paying you a slight increment more than most jobs
Soon you find out it's corrupt company.There were never enough officers to cover shift because of large staff turnover-Security issue. The supervisors – more... didn't care about their employees or the Inmates and are only there to make money. I couldn't even hardly get a ink pen because they were that stingy with their supplies. This is a billion dollar company that won't spend an extra dollar to make things more efficient. Several employees got fired during my time there after getting hurt on the job or if they got terminally/seriously ill. This company will NOT be here for you in your time of need despite their desperate statements of "family first". – less
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CORRECTIONAL OFFICER
Correctional Officer (Current Employee), Panama City, FL – March 23, 2013
Pros: learn alot about dealing with different people and ethinic backgrounds
Cons: can be very boring and routine at times.can be stressful
A TYPICAL DAY CAN GO FROM ROUTINE TO A ALL OUT BRAWL WITH INMATES.YOU LEARN INTERPERSONAL SKILLS TO SURVIVE AS ITS ALOT EASIER TO TALK A EXTREMELY UPSET INMATE DOWN THEN TO USE FORCE, WHICH IS A LAST RESORT. FOR THE MOST PART MANAGEMENT IS OK EXCEPT YOU HAVE YOUR HOTDOGS. HARDEST PART IS DEALING WITH THE PROBLEMS INMATES CAN GIVE FROM GAMES THEY PLAY – more... ON STAFF TO SUICIDES WHICH WE HAD LAST YEAR. I ENJOY WORKING WITH STAFF AND WE ARENT ALWAYS SERIOUS ON THE JOB.YOU HAVE TO JOKE AROUND TO KEEP FROM GETTING STRESSED OUT.IT CAN BE A HIGH STRESS JOB IF YOU LET IT BE. – less
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Huge turnover rates
recreation officer (Former Employee), Eden , Tx – March 13, 2013
Pros: health ins and 401 k
Cons: too many politics, too much favor given to those who sucked up
I stayed for nearly 10 years at Eden CCA , only because it was the only decent paying job in our area. I watched immature, irresponsible young men and women advance fast due to the large turn over rates. It became a place where you felt like you had to watch your back from the supervisors and all their cronies. Lots of politics played. Felt like a ton – more... of bricks removed from my shoulders when I left. – less
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Depressed – May 3, 2013

Current employee for a number of years and recognized from day one that CCA is not a company that is employee oriented. The correctional officers at Eden are highly discouraged because we endure on a daily basis a management team that lacks the ability to recognize and address problems. Every C/O is paid the same, regardless of tenure. The message that this sends is that experience is not valued by management. Annual reviews are meaningless because we are not given raises. The last increase was 4 years ago - 2009. There is no shift differential. Mandatory overtime is resented. Staff shortages are constant. Turnover is high, morale low. Favortism and nepotism is rampant. Supervisors are uneducated and incompetent. Age discrimination is apparent. The situation at Eden is bleak......

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“If you aren't part of the Clique, You won't move up!”
Correctional Officer (Current Employee), Nashville, TN – March 10, 2013
Pros: all the overtime you want.....and that's about it....
Cons: too many to list, look at the review
Cons

-No idea if you will be relieved for that shift, 12 hour shift turns into 16 (Lack of leadership)
- Hug a thug mentality; write someone up, takes the inmates word over yours (Scared of being sued)
-Superiors talk to staff like they are inmates
-Prison stays understaffed(to line the business's pockets) so that means mandatory overtime; make you – more... come on your day off, or write you up
-Superiors hate paperwork so when you do write an inmate up…the inmate may never receive due to it being 'lost', or it goes past the 24 hours time frame that they have to be served.
-Favoritism - Some C/Os are in the clique don't have to work units or they have their certain spots…to the point where they'll move multiple people so these people don't have to work with the inmates…
-Mandatory overtime list, but it is rarely followed…some people get 'stuck' day after day…so a 12 hour day turns into a 16 hour day…back to back…
-To move up you have to be apart of the clique…there is a lot of unprofessional flirting and relationships/affairs

Advice to Senior Management – Stop having the backs of administration staff who treat the staff poorly or promote favoritism, or turning a blind eye...no wonder turnover was over 30% for the year...(twice the national average) – less
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Nothing like what you are told when hired
Non security (Former Employee), Whiteville, TN – March 6, 2013
Pros: some very good people work there
Cons: no breaks, no positive reenforcement, just a place to collect a paycheck for most of the employees, constant changing of schedules
Good training program that makes you feel like you could make a difference in someone's life. As soon as you get out on the floor everything they taught you goes out the window. If you show respect and compassion to the inmates, you become a target for others to find a way to turn you bitter and angry and if you don't, they look for ways to get rid – more... of you. There is no respect for anyone, employees or otherwise and the security is a joke. The innmates have more rights and believability than the employees. I've seen sleeping on the job, several breech of contract issues including HIPPA and out of compliance issues. It seems like passing the buck is the thing to do. Always short on supplies, and the food is a joke. No wonder there are so many with health issues. There are a handful of employees who are hard working, good hearted people who go the extra mile, but they are few and far between. And they are invisible to staff and management. If you don't fall in with the "in" crowd, you will be treated like a leper and be constantly scrutinized. The inmates definately run the show. I enjoyed my job as it made me feel like I could make a difference in someones' life, but the constant negativity from staff made it nearly impossible to suceed. I was put down for smiling. You almost have to be a bitter, non caring person, with practicably no feelings at all to work there and you most definately don't want to care about the welfare of the prisoners, even though in training, that is your job, it's what you are geting paid to do. – less
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Good place to work
Correctional Officer (Former Employee), Shelby, MT – February 20, 2013
Good place to work but in the middle of nowhere. At work I supervised inmates all day, took very few brakes, and had no lunch period.
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Overall a decent company.
Captain/Shift Supervisor, also prison Investigator (Former Employee), Lake City, FL – February 5, 2013
Pros: free lunches
Cons: staff shortage
I was a part of upper management. There were definitely opportunities for all staff to advance and promote through the ranks. At times there were some individuals in high ranking positions who had no business in such a position as they were highly unprofessional and lacked integrity. The health benefits were good. Salary was competitive.
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Fun place to work if you don't need the money
Human Resources Assistant/Payroll (Former Employee), Whiteville, TN – February 1, 2013
Cons: not paid enough
Love the people but the pay is not competitive for the work you do.
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Good company for OT and advancement
Correctional Counselor (Current Employee), Nashville, TN – January 23, 2013
I have been working here for 6 years and I am extremely happy here. There is a lot of opprotunity for overtime and advancement.
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Corrections environment is very restrictive by it's nature.
Mental Health Coordinator (Former Employee), Eloy, AZ – January 21, 2013
Pros: good salary, reasonably good benefits
Cons: little flexibility, health department does not function as a team.
I have worked at three different CCA facilities, each of which has different contracts/clients and although policy/procedure is more or less standardized, each facility is run very differently.

The first CCA facility at which I was employed had a very positive attitude.Staff were happy and content and the turnover rate was the lowest in the company, – more... around 6%.

The facility I have recently left has a wholly different environment. It is quite negative, there have been several staff assaults by inmates during the past two years. The turnover rate is over 20%, among the highest in the company. – less
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Former employee
Corrections Officer (Former Employee), Eloy AZ – January 18, 2013
Pros: easy training
Cons: very political working enviroment. not only yard politics, but admin is just as bad.
Be careful what you wish for. If you want to become a correctional officer apply with a government agency. Especially if you want to be promoted on your merit and not who know or dont know or drink with.
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Productive and a pleasent place to work
Mail room Supervisor (Current Employee), Houston, Texas – January 11, 2013
Pros: the ethics
Cons: for the work that a person does, the pay is not considerable
The company is people friendly, cultral diversified and pleasant
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Lack of Leadership and Professionalism
Corrections Officer (Former Employee), Corrections Officer – January 10, 2013
Pros: free lunch
Cons: stay away from cca
This is why I left.

I am writing to you today to officially tender my resignation from ***** State Jail and Corrections Corporation of America, effective Friday October 07, 2******.

I began this job believing that I was moving into a lifetime position within a great company. This was further reinforced by the training classes that you offered, which – more... were in-depth, educational and professionally presented.

I learned a great deal about corrections work. My initial reason for joining the CCA team was because of CCA’s website and how CCA seemed to place such great value on professionalism within the corrections industry.

Unfortunately, once I moved into the on-the-job training, it quickly became clear that the standard that was so proudly presented on the company website was not same standard held by most employees(to include some Supervisor's) in the ****** facility I was training in.

I'd like to make it clear, I consider myself a career security professional. I pride myself on the solid eleven years I have given this profession. It is because of this pride and professionalism that I have chosen to leave my new position with CCA.

During my on-the-job training, I saw several policy and procedure violations from subordinates and Supervisors that I feel create unsafe working conditions for all Officers and staff working in the facility.

I observed officers fail to enforce several rules with regards to offenders. In addition to this failure to require offenders to follow rules, guidelines, and regulations set forth by CCA and TDCJ standard practices - basic rules put in place to protect employees. Due to this lax approach, many officers choose to not follow even simple rules such as uniform appearance.

These are just a few things that I have observed during my short stay at ******. I find that CCA does in fact, have a handful of excellent Correctional Officers on staff at the ****** facility – employees who do exactly what is required of them to do by CCA’s established policies and procedures.

Unfortunately, you have a significantly greater number of officers that are NOT doing their jobs. Because of this general failure to rigorously and safely carry out the duties and follow the set protocols of CCA and TDCJ, I feel that there is great potential for situations that may one day jeopardize my safety and that of other CCA employees.

By jeopardize, I refer to being involved in scenarios and environments that may expose me to more than the requisite dangers that come with the position, dangers that could be completely avoided if Officers was doing their jobs. For example, recent actions by officers have shown me that the possibility of an Officer smuggling a loaded firearm within the facility is a serious issue.

Such as contraband cigarettes and marijuana that unknown Officer(S) take into ****** to this day. This would clearly be an action that could result in terrible consequences, to staff or offender injuries, lost of life, or even attempted jail breaks.

I refuse to sit back and wait for this to happen. My family depends on me to make choices for both myself and them that will result in our safety and prosperity, and leaving this position is one of these difficult choices I have had to make.

I hope that one day the CCA **** State Jail will be able to live up to the image of professionalism and safety that the CCA human resources team and website promote, but for now I am not convinced of the safety of myself or other employees in your **** facility.

I thank you for the time and cost you've invested in me to this date and I hope that you take my words to heart and address some of the situations I have mentioned. – less
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About Corrections Corporation of America

Corrections Corporation of America (CCA) has locked up a big share of the private prison market. The company operates more than – Read more