HUTTONSVILLE, W.Va. — A Randolph County delegate is calling on Gov. Earl Ray Tomblin and her fellow lawmakers to take steps to address the ongoing staffing shortages at Huttonsville Correctional Center, the medium-security facility that is the largest prison facility in West Virginia.
Delegate Denise Campbell (D-Randolph, 43) said the issue cannot continue to be ignored. “The Governor’s Office and the Legislature need to step in and try to do something,” she said.
As of Monday, Jim Rubenstein, commissioner for the state Division of Corrections, confirmed there were 95 uniformed correctional officer vacancies at Huttonsville Correctional Center along with 15 open non-officer positions.
Rubenstein and other officials recently met with Campbell and Del. William Hartman (D-Randolph, 43) to talk about the staffing issues at Huttonsville Correctional Center which houses 1,200 inmates.
A total of 60 percent of new hires at Huttonsville leave within the first year for other employment opportunities, he said on Monday’s MetroNews “Talkline.” Better pay, Rubenstein said, can be found in the Marcellus shale drilling industry, at federal correctional facilities or within local law enforcement departments.
“They have seen some increases in pay over the years where, sadly, ours has stayed somewhat stagnant,” Rubenstein said.
Those still on the job are working 12-16 hours a day several times a week, according to Campbell.
“When you’re to hour no. 14 and 15, how alert are you?” Campbell asked. “You’re physically exhausted and that is a safety concern for the officers and everyone inside the prison plus those on the outside.”
The problems are not limited to Huttonsville.
In the past year, West Virginia has spent more than $8 million in overtime statewide which is $1 million more than last year, according to state information.
“I think everybody likes a little bit of overtime, but the overtime right now, it becomes an albatross around people’s necks,” Rubenstein said.
“The turnover and then the amount that we’re paying (for) overtime as well as to replace individuals, I hope we’re looking towards making an investment to stabilize our workforce.”
The starting salary for correctional officers in West Virginia is $22,500 and there have been no pay increases for several years.
Campbell said the hiring process takes 45 days and another 30 days pass before new correctional officers get their first paychecks. Those numbers need to change, she argued.
The Legislature took no action on proposals to address correctional officer pay and retention during the 2015 Regular Legislative Session.