With shortage of prison staff, state looks at hiring teen guards

With shortage of prison staff, state looks at hiring teen guards
With shortage of prison staff, state looks at hiring teen guards

Teenagers, fresh out of high school, could be hired to guard and oversee hardened criminals in Oklahoma’s chronically overcrowded and understaffed prisons.

In a little-noticed action, the Oklahoma Board of Corrections passed a set of legislative requests earlier this month that include allowing prisons to hire corrections officials as young as 18. Currently the minimum age is 20.

The Department of C…