CHARLESTON, W.Va.— The West Virginia National Guard will have about 100 of its members working inside the West Virginia Division of Corrections as the agency struggles with manpower issues at Regional Jails and Prisons around the state.
“We’ve got about 80 folks in there currently and they understand we’ll be adding to that over the next months to try and help them out with their shortages,” said Lt. Colonel Todd Justice.
Governor Jim Justice recently called on the Guard to help the department as manpower has reached critically low levels. Corrections officials are actively recruiting more officers, but admit difficulty finding and keeping personnel because of low pay, high stress, and competition from other states and other agencies.
The Guard members will have no direct contact with inmates, but will handle support roles within the facilities.
“Towers manned for oversight, a lot of visitors coming in and out have to be checked and inspected and there are perimeter patrols. All of the positions they have to man that don’t require direct inmate contact, we’re trying to help fill some of those roles,” said Lt. Colonel Justice.
It’s not the first time the National Guard has served in this role. Guard members were used to spell some of the weary prison and jail workers in a similar effort back in 2018 and 2019. The West Virginia Natural Resources Police have also been helping provide similar assistance during the officers’ off duty hours.
The role demonstrates the wide range of skills the National Guard can offer. Currently some Guardsmen and women are on duty helping with flood recovery and others are deployed in military roles overseas.
“Anything the state request and needs and it’s something we think we can provide help, obviously with the Governor’s permission and the TAG’s concurrence, we try to help anywhere we can,” said the Lt. Colonel.
Justice said those Guard members who have volunteered for the detail are all part-time members and have worked out arrangements with their full-time employer to engage in the service. The National Guard does not restrict which shifts the solders will work, but does require they work no more than five days or 48-hours in a seven day period.