In Florida, the nation's third-largest prison system is dangerously understaffed, leading to serious security issues.

That's the conclusion of a recent report conducted by independent consulting firm CGL, which found that many mandatory positions have been left unmanned for thousands of hours. As a result, fewer inmates are being searched, and use of force is increasing as guards struggle to maintain control.

When fire departments are overworked, the amount of money they have to allocate for overtime payments can reach impressive levels. At first glance, it may appear that the department in question is simply understaffed. But hiring additional firefighters isn't always the best answer.

For instance, in the Columbus, Ohio fire department, overtime payments reached $8.6 million in 2015, with some firefighters earning 30 percent more than their base pay.

Recent school shootings in the United States have made parents, teachers and policymakers extra wary about the safety of students. But while many school districts have opted to boost security, some have struggled with a lack of staff.

State officials must always balance the need to stay on budget while avoiding burnout for their prison staffs.

A recent study from the Vermont Department of Corrections is once again bringing this dilemma into focus. Over the last six months, correctional officers at the state's seven prisons have worked an average of 11.6 hours of overtime for each two week pay period.