The union which represents a number of state corrections workers and State Troopers believes there is a solution to the problems facing those employees.
Communications Workers of America representative Elaine Harris says her organization is one of those which represents prison guards at the state capitol. She said Monday on MetroNews Talkline it’s a bleak picture for the moment for those employees. They face difficult working conditions with low pay, long hours, and a dangerous environment. For some, it’s too much and many are leaving for other jobs.
“Being able to recruit and retain officers in some very tough situations in which they work,” said Harris. “We’ve got to look at some ways we can keep people.”
Harris said it starts with a pay raise. However, the Tomblin administration has made it clear a pay raise is a non-starter for next fiscal year’s budget. Harris isn’t so sure.
“You have to start comparing what we’re losing as compared to what the cost would be,” she reasoned during her appearance on Talkline live at the state capitol. “Compare somebody that’s been trained and a starting salary of 22-thousand dollars and it’s about 6-thousand dollars to train them. Every time you lose somebody, that’s lost.”
Presently the corrections officers are in a situation of forced overtime in prisons which are bursting at the seams. She said the situation only adds to the stress level. It drives away good people and causes other potential hires to shy away from applying for open positions.
Harris added the State Police are in an equally difficult situation. Troopers are capped at the amount of overtime they can be paid. Harris said at times the dedicated members of the State Police are literally working for free.
“I really feel if we can get all these great minds sitting down together we can come up with some solutions,” she said. “It may not be the whole load, but what can we do?”
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Comments
sam
join the crowd of all state employees. try living off my pay from week to week.
February 18, 2013 at 2:53 pm | Report comment
sam
well lets spend more foolish money on state internet routers, gps systems that don't work on state vehicles. the state gps monitoring system cost a monthly fee. all of this wasted money could be used for raises. i could keep naming wasteful things but there is always someone there to defend it as they defend their salary. make people accountable and get rid of the waste.
February 18, 2013 at 3:10 pm | Report comment
zerotolerance
The sad part in all of this in WV if you are a correctional officer and the sole provider for a family of 4, you are living below the national poverty level.
Also the title of the job is NOT guards! Tom Hanks was a prison guard, WV employs CORRECTIONAL OFFICERS not guards.
February 18, 2013 at 8:42 pm | Report comment
the truth
Tomblin is just as bad as Manchin. Stick it to your employees but I bet his inner circle cronies get raises and start out at a high pay. You have no reason to become a employee of the State of West Virginia. No reward for hardwork or dedication. All you see now is people who come in get a little bit of experience and leave. I would suggest all state employees walk off the job for day and let Tomblin and his cronies run everything.
February 18, 2013 at 8:55 pm | Report comment
Ashley
Correctional Officers, regardless of the division they work under (DJS, DOC, Regional Jail Authority) are all under paid. Lax laws providing more rights for the inmates than the officers, make it an even more difficult occupation. Not to mention the countless hours of OT and time away from their families. Young people get in, get one year experience and fly the coop to the Feds..but who wouldn't? There is also a big problem with the lack of incentive for those who DO stay in WV state corrections. There is nothing for longevity. Raising the starting salaries is just the beginning. You have officers starting now who make pretty close to the same as what someone with 20+ years in, bc they began their career when starting salary was $12k. There is so much wasted money (state vehicles being used for "people of higher positions" to travel to and from work, for example). Everyone else has to provide their own transportation and pay for their own gas, what makes them better? I've been around corrections, and actually work contract health care in corrections now, and it's mind blowing at times to see how the state handles their business, or doesn't for that matter. Crime is something that is always going to put people away, and rightfully so, so how did corrections drop so far down in priority. I agree with [the truth], Tomblin and other state government officials are making decision about corrections, but couldn't do the job that correctional officers do on a daily basis for basically nothing. In my experiece, years that do come with pay raises (few in number I should add) usually are accompanied by insurance premium increases and such. As [zerotolerance] said, a family of four with the income of a state employed correctional officer is below the national poverty level. There is something seriously wrong with that picture. Ms. Harris is right when she says the state throws money away in training officers who don't stick around. Thus, give an incentive to stay! It's only going to get worse as jails and prisons continue to overcrowd. The stress of the job does become too much and it's easy to walk. Higher starting salaries would get people there, and longevity incentives will keep people there. It's feasible to give every Magistrate in the state a $6k a year pay raise (the bill is in the House now), and they already make better than $50k a year, but the poor souls who have to deal with the sentenced don't make half that. Our state government needs to wake up, step up, and be proactive. The need to be reactive is nearing ...
February 19, 2013 at 1:11 am | Report comment
NorthernWVman
in the meantime teachers, with a median income in WV make approx. $44,000/year, are AGAIN asking for a raise. Yet they get one nearly every year!! It is built into their system. That is nearly double that of a CORRECTIONAL OFFICER. Do you still think those children and condescending parents are more dangerous than a convicted murderer?
AND no I am NOT a CO.
February 19, 2013 at 8:07 am | Report comment
wvtd
they do not deserve a raise. all they do is guard people behind bars and run their mouths. losers one and all.
February 19, 2013 at 10:04 am | Report comment
NorthernWVman
Sounds like a former resident at one of our institutions. Pretty certain they do a lot more than "guard people."
February 19, 2013 at 11:26 am | Report comment
the truth
Here is the sad numbers on being a correctional officer:
Starting pay 22584.00 or 1921.00 per month
Federal poverty leve for household of 4: 1882.00
At this starting pay:
If they were paying 500.00 rent and utilities they would be eligible for 308.00 in food stamp assistance per month and the children would be eligible for medicaid. When you pay someone poverty level wages they are going to leave for another job. I would say the only thing that keeps some of these households together is the overtime. Pay poverty wages and you will have the constant turnover. Remember, no merit raises since Tomblin and Manchin have been in office and no hope for a raise.
February 19, 2013 at 2:03 pm | Report comment
Mr. Corrections
It's very sad that many men and women risk there lives every day keeping a variety of horrid people locked up and off the streets protecting the public in West Virginia and yet we have little support in a fight to get better pay. And yes I know that everyone who is employed by the state would like to see a pay increase for there profession. However lets look at facts teachers, doh do they have to face 30-50-sometime 100 to one odds on a daily basis with some sick individuals that a lot of the time want to do harm to them? Anyone? The answer is simply no and although I would like to see anyone have a higher pay increase that is struggling to make it. The simple truth is correctional staff in wv NEED it. We have constant overcrowding both in regional jails and doc facilities and that accounts for constant stress on mostly new staff who as soon as new employees are hired and train take time off to get burnt out because overtime is so horrible which leads many new employees to also get burnt put quickly which leads to massively high turnover rate! I have looked all over to see any news of pay increases for the profession and sadly its been months since it has even been discussed so anyone reading this please feel free to repost this. Help the protectors of the innocent and the guardians of the wretched get a fair shake for once. Make a stand for Wv corrections!
May 20, 2013 at 2:27 pm | Report comment