Wife says Louisville Metro Corrections staffing shortage is hurting families of officers

LOUISVILLE, Ky. (WDRB) -- Families of Louisville Metro Department of Corrections officers said the staffing shortage is at a breaking point.

"They're exhausted," said Candice Graves, whose husband has been an officer with LMDC for about 10 years.

Graves said her husband has worked regular overtime almost the entire time he's worked there. The problem with staffing and overtime reached an all new high, though, when the COVID-19 pandemic began, she said.

"And admin keep saying that it's a new problem," she said. "It's not."

On Monday, Louisville Metro Arson division said two women inmates in the jail purposefully started a fire. Graves said it's not new for incidents like this to happen at the jail, but the public is just now starting to pay attention because of the shortage.

"That's dangerous not only for inmates but also for officers," she said. "And when I'm talking about danger, I'm talking about lives."

She said her husband is forced to work double shifts because of the shortage, so instead of coming home in time to see his young kids before they go to bed, he's coming home at midnight.

And it's not a once-in-a-while thing. Graves said, a lot of times, her husband works doubles every day of his work week.

"My kids have to wait five days to see their dad, and that's not fair to them," she said. "I feel like a single mother."

Metro Council is aware of the staffing shortage. On Monday, it was announced that all officers, sergeants, lieutenants and captains will get double-pay for overtime for the next 60 days.

Graves said the officers are physically and emotionally spent, and they want more money spent on recruiting, not more money for overtime.

"It's very frustrating," she said. "It makes you mad, and it makes you hurt for your husband and for the other officers that are that are there."