evidence: Some states argue they don’t need as many workers as they did, because they closed facilities or privatized services such as health care. And not all corrections staff work inside prisons; some state corrections departments include probation and parole, juvenile facilities or jails. Still, nearly every state saw a drop in the number of people working in corrections, at a time when prison populations in many places are rebounding. [...] Georgia, where Phillips worked, had half of its correctional officer jobs empty last year, according to state records. In one case, prison employees were so overstretched, they didn’t notice a dead and decomposing body for five days, according to The Atlanta Journal-Constitution. The situation has become so bad that West Virginia, Florida and New Hampshire have called in National Guard troops to provide support. In Wisconsin, The New York Times reported staffing ratios kept a prison in lockdown, confining people to their cells for months on end, without visits from family, with no access to the law library and little to no time outdoors for recreation. [...] That leaves prison officials straining to find new ways to increase staffing levels. Joan Heath, a spokeswoman for the Georgia Department of Corrections wrote in an email, "[T]he role of a correctional officer is challenging, compared to other job opportunities available from which individuals may choose; however, we will continue in our recruitment efforts showing potential employees that working with Corrections is a good, rewarding career."