Staffing Analysis Workbook for Jails - Second Edition - How to Improve Jail Staffing Practices

Sep 11, 2026

This second edition staffing analysis workbook for jails provides an updated “how-to” methodology to improve jail operations through better staffing practices and planning. It simplifies jail staffing analysis and allocation by clarifying key terms and offering a structured process for building a comprehensive staffing plan. The workbook emphasizes quantifying staffing on an hourly basis to handle diverse shift schedules, addresses overtime causes, and guides managers through profiling the jail, calculating work hours, developing coverage, evaluating costs, and implementing and monitoring results.

LanguageEnglish

CategoryPaper Templates

FormatPDF

Pages48

Reading Time17 min

AccessFree to download

Foreword

Preface

Purpose and target users

Why staffing analysis matters

Hourly-based quantification approach

Overview of staffing analysis steps

1. Profiling the jail

2. Calculating net annual work hours

3. Developing a facility activity schedule

4. Developing a staff coverage plan

5. Completing a staff summary

6. Developing a schedule

7. Evaluating, revising, and improving the plan

8. Calculating operational costs

9. Preparing a report

10. Implementing the plan and monitoring results

U.S. Department of Justice National Institute of Corrections WORKBOOK FOR JAILS Second Edition U.S. Department of Justice National Institute of Corrections WORKBOOK FOR JAILS Second Edition U.S. Department of Justice National Institute of Corrections 320 First Street N.W. Washington, DC 20534 Morris L. Thigpen, Director Virginia A. Hutchinson, Chief, Jails Division Alan L. Richardson, Project Manager National Institute of Corrections World Wide Web Site [http://www.nicic.org](http://www.nicic.org) Staffing Analysis Workbook for Jails Second Edition Dennis R. Liebert and Rod Miller March 2001 This document was prepared under cooperative agreement number 99J06GIK3 from the National Institute of Corrections, U.S. Department of Justice. Points of view or opinions stated in this document are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the official position or policies of the U.S. Department of Justice. Copyright 2001, Dennis R. Liebert and Rod Miller The authors authorize reproduction of all or any part of this copyrighted material if appropriate attribution is given and if the material is not sold for a profit. The National Institute of Corrections reserves the right to reproduce, publish, translate, or otherwise use and to authorize others to publish and use all or any part of the copyrighted material contained in this publication. Foreword This second edition of the Staffing Analysis Workbook for Jails updates the edition published by the National Institute of Corrections (NIC) in 1988 to help improve jail operations by improving staffing practices. Since that time, the workbook has become a cornerstone of NIC’s training and technical assistance activities related to jail staffing. Many legitimate methods can be used to conduct a jail staffing analysis. The first edition of this workbook presented a new methodology in an attempt to allow both the expert and the novice equal opportunities for success. It encouraged more jails to implement comprehensive staffing analyses, which have now become standard practice in many jurisdictions. This workbook simplifies the jail staffing analysis and allocation process, clarifies terms, and incorporates the experience of the field in the 12 years since the first edition was published. While the procedures may initially seem complicated, experience has proven that the process is effective and rewarding. Jail managers have also discovered many secondary benefits from this process. NIC will continue to address jail staffing issues through training offered by the NIC Jails and Academy Divisions and through technical assistance. We hope this “how to” workbook will assist others who wish to independently pursue improvements in their jail staffing practices. We invite all jail practitioners involved in this work to contact the NIC Jails Division for additional assistance if needed. Morris L. Thigpen, Director National Institute of Corrections . . . . . . . . . . . . . . iii Preface Jail staffing challenges administrators, staff, and policymakers and poses a variety of serious problems. Staffing a jail is expensive. In many jails, staff costs can make up 70 percent to 80 percent of the annual budget. Such a costly resource must be carefully managed, and assessing staff needs and allocating staff in a jail setting are complex tasks. This workbook attempts to simplify the process wherever possible. The publication was developed to help improve jail operations by improving jail staffing practices. It identifies a series of steps that build on one another to produce a comprehensive and innovative staffing plan. Users will find the workbook helpful in the following situations: ■ Creating an initial staffing plan for a new facility or conducting a comprehensive staffing analysis for the first time. ■ Reviewing and evaluating an existing staffing plan. ■ Revising an existing plan in response to changes atthe facility or in policy

FAQs

What is the purpose of the Staffing Analysis Workbook for Jails (Second Edition)?

It helps improve jail operations by improving staffing practices, offering a step-by-step process to create comprehensive and innovative staffing plans.

How does the workbook differ from earlier staffing analysis methods?

It quantifies staffing on an hourly basis rather than a shift basis to reflect today’s diverse shift schedules and overlapping “power” shifts.

What are the main steps in the staffing analysis process?

The workbook outlines a 10-step process: profiling the jail, calculating net annual work hours, building activity and coverage schedules, completing staff summaries, developing schedules, evaluating and revising the plan, calculating costs, preparing a report, and implementing and monitoring results.

Sep 11, 2026

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