correctional officer

therapist

registered nurse

case manager

animal control officer

Wayne Halfway House, Inc.

What is the best part of working at the company?
My experience working at Aspen Youth Academy was difficult overall. While working with the youth could be meaningful, the work environment itself presented consistent challenges.

There were ongoing issues with professionalism and communication among staff. Situations between coworkers were sometimes carried outside of work and later escalated internally, which created unnecessary tension rather than being handled constructively. There also appeared to be favoritism at times, both among staff and in how certain youth were treated, which made maintaining fairness and consistency more difficult.

Another concern was blurred professional boundaries. Relationships between staff outside of work sometimes carried into the workplace in ways that impacted communication, decision-making, and overall team dynamics.

In addition, there was inconsistency in expectations. At times, individuals who were not regularly involved with the youth or staff would step in and expect immediate changes in structure and behavior. This often disrupted the environment, escalated emotions among both staff and youth, and made it harder to maintain stability.

When staff attempted to suddenly enforce policies and procedures in response to these shifts, it could further escalate situations with the youth rather than de-escalate them, especially in an environment where consistency and trust are critical.

There also seemed to be inconsistency in how attendance and accountability were handled. Employees who frequently called out did not appear to face the same consequences as those who were only a few minutes late, which created concerns about fairness and consistency in enforcement of policies.

I also had concerns regarding safety practices. In some situations, even when youth were on “line of sight” supervision, incidents still occurred, which suggests that additional training, staffing, or policy consistency may be needed to ensure a safer environment.

Additionally, there was limited flexibility and understanding when it came to responsibilities outside of work, such as childcare, which can be especially challenging for working parents.

Overall, I believe the organization would benefit from stronger leadership, clearer boundaries, more consistent expectations, and better support for staff in order to create a more stable and effective environment for both employees and the youth being served.

What is the most stressful part about working at the company?
The most stressful part was the inconsistency in leadership, communication, and expectations. Sudden changes—especially when individuals unfamiliar with the day-to-day environment stepped in—often escalated situations rather than helped. This, combined with staff conflict, favoritism, and unclear enforcement of policies, created a high-stress environment where it was difficult to maintain stability and effectively support the youth.

What is the work environment and culture like at the company?
The work environment at Aspen Youth Academy is often stressful and inconsistent. While the job itself requires structure and teamwork, the culture can be affected by poor communication, favoritism, and unprofessional staff dynamics.

Expectations and policies are not always enforced consistently, and sudden changes—especially from individuals not regularly involved—can disrupt the environment and escalate situations. Overall, the culture would benefit from stronger leadership, clearer boundaries, and more consistent support for staff.

What is a typical day like for you at the company?
A typical day involves supervising youth, managing behaviors, and attempting to keep structure and routine in place. This includes de-escalating situations, enforcing rules, and supporting the youth throughout daily activities.

The environment can be unpredictable, as expectations and direction may change quickly. Staffing challenges, inconsistent communication, and outside involvement can disrupt routines and escalate situations, making it difficult to maintain stability for both staff and youth.

A typical day often looks very different from the role I was hired for. While my position involves planning and facilitating recreational activities for the youth, ongoing staffing shortages frequently result in being reassigned to unit supervision for extended periods, sometimes overseeing 8–12 youth alone for 8+ hours. Shifts are often extended beyond the scheduled end time, so leaving when your shift is supposed to end is not always realistic.

Through this job, I learned how to remain adaptable in high-stress environments, manage crisis situations, and work with challenging behaviors. It also required developing strong patience and situational awareness due to the fast-paced and unpredictable nature of the work.

Management and leadership consistency can be a challenge. Communication is often unclear, and expectations shift depending on staffing needs. This contributes to a stressful work environment and makes it difficult for employees to feel supported or properly utilized in their roles.

Workplace culture is heavily affected by internal conflict and frequent staff drama. Interpersonal issues among employees often interfere with daily operations and morale, sometimes overshadowing the work itself. These dynamics make retention difficult and add unnecessary stress to an already demanding job.

The hardest part of the job is managing high responsibility levels with limited staffing support, long shifts, and a tense workplace atmosphere. Balancing youth supervision while navigating internal staff issues can be exhausting over time.

The most enjoyable part of the job is working directly with the youth when given the opportunity to do so. Building rapport, providing structure, and facilitating positive activities can be rewarding and meaningful when staffing allows the role to be performed as intended.

As long as you have a pulse they will hire you. 
No reason to go out of your way to do your job well as they do not fire people for being bad at it and do not reward people for being good at it. huge turnover because most people can not handle the chaos for very long but if you Just show up for your shifts that is really all they care about. The residents will destroy your soul and incompetent staff will make it even worse. Constantly making new rules that no one enforces. Refuse to fire or punish abusive staff members. Have an apparent disdain for people who care about the residents and their impact. Upper management is terrified of losing their jobs so they keep unqualified people around them to make themselves appear to be the best option for their positions, if you do well they will constantly seek a reason to fire you and eventually you will give them one. Nepotism promotions. Abysmal training. My direct supervisors on my shift were the only good thing about this job, they always had my back.  1st 2nd and 3rd shift all hate each other and their is no cohesion at all which leads to a chaotic environment with no structure that is in no way the best way to handle teenage boys with behavior issues.  Special degrees should be required for this type of work, especially at the higher levels, instead it is basically a bunch of children caring for a bunch of children that are caring for a bunch of children. 


Working here has been a disappointing experience from the start. Although training is initially provided, it’s quickly disregarded once you’re on the job, leaving new staff unprepared and unsupported. Teamwork is nonexistent, and favoritism runs deep—those who are popular or willing to be pushovers are the only ones who seem to advance. Management lacks leadership skills and often turns a blind eye to serious issues. Write-ups are rarely done, and staff who try to hold others accountable are either silenced or told to mind their business. Some staff have even become too close to the youth, blurring professional boundaries, while others are clearly afraid of them. The facility is frequently out of compliance, and concerns are swept under the rug. It’s disheartening to see genuinely caring and firm staff members leave because there’s no clear guidance or support. Work/life balance is nonexistent, they’ll hire just about anyone, and shockingly, some begin working before their background checks are even cleared. If you’re looking for a toxic environment with little structure and growth only for favorites, this is the place.

The organization is chronically understaffed, resulting in high demand for productivity in an already stressful, and sometimes dangerous environment. As a result, employees who continue unprofessional behavior or add liability/risk in the building are rarely reprimanded. It creates a hostile culture of burnout and lack of accountability. While corporate leadership is helpful, they are not always present. On-site leadership shares traits of mediocrity and avoidance, promising change but under delivering. All negative experiences aside, it was a valuable learning opportunity. However, more accurate representation of the organization's operating state should be discussed during the hiring process to ensure both parties are agreeable to the requirements and working conditions. 

Working at Wayne Halfway House has been one of the most unsafe and poorly managed experiences of my career. The facility is understaffed, the environment is chaotic, and there is very little real support for officers dealing with dangerous situations. Safety protocols exist on paper, but in practice they’re ignored or impossible to follow because staffing and communication are so inadequate.

Scheduling is incredibly unfair and inconsistent. Officers are frequently forced into last-minute shifts, long hours, or schedule changes with no regard for work–life balance. Management makes decisions without transparency and rarely seems concerned with how those choices affect the people actually doing the job.

If you value your safety, your sanity, or any sense of stability, avoid this place like the plague. There are far better corrections positions out there with competent leadership and safer working conditions. This one is not worth the risk.

What is the best part of working at the company?
Getting to help the kids who are in prison. Also the staff members are mostly very friendly and helpful.

What is the most stressful part about working at the company?
Being told daily that something is wrong with my charting though I thought I was following directions.

What is the work environment and culture like at the company?
It is a cold gray metal prison. Much of the staff comes and goes due to dissatisfaction with the job.  Training is very poor.

What is a typical day like for you at the company?
It is a new surprise every day. I come in at 6 AM for med pass and don't know if I get to leave by 5:00 or will have to remain later due to some new event. Afternoon medpass is at 4 PM. There are fights and accidents on the playground weekly, requiring medical care. Lots of paperwork - not on computor.

Not a great place to work. No clinical support from a properly licensed professional. Corrupt administration allowing employees to continue employment despite several reports of bringing contraband. Will target the clinical team and make false accusations in efforts to end one’s career. No proper onboarding process. Punish you for not following rules they never taught you, yet let it slide if a floor staff is caught with contraband or comes to work under the influence. Will do whatever it takes to punish the youth and keep them in the facility for longer. Overall, they do not take the safety and well being of their youth seriously and are always looking for a scapegoat to blame.

The environment is tough, and if you can't take having 12 teens yell at you at the same time then it's probably not for you. Supervisors and above are all out for each other which leaves little to no support for those who need it. Department favoritism is a big problem. Like most places, rules are mostly ignored until the corporate guys come. You get hired on for one position and end up working three others. After you get settled, the kids aren't the biggest problem, it's always upper management.  It's a step if you want to get your foot into corrections, but it takes a serious toll on your mental health and no one cares. 


The facility is extremely unprofessional and seems to prioritize funding over the well-being of the children. Staff behavior is often inappropriate and unproductive, and there is constant internal drama that affects the environment. Many staff members blur professional boundaries with the youth and allow them to act without proper guidance or accountability.

Although the hours are consistent, this is mainly because staff frequently fail to show up for their shifts. Overall, the workplace culture is disorganized, unprofessional, and disappointing.


Top Job Titles	Average Salary
Correctional officer 37 salaries reported	$17.42 per hour
Therapist 33 salaries reported	$58,273 per year
Registered nurse 34 salaries reported	$38.71 per hour
Case manager 11 salaries reported	$41,955 per year
Animal control officer 13 salaries reported	$18.23 per hour

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