The Associated Press
Overtime, sick leave lucrative for some COs
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LANSING, Mich. — State auditors say the Michigan Department of Corrections should improve its administration of prison guard staffing after paying nearly $67 million in overtime to officers in the 2006-07 budget year.
The audit released Wednesday says 121 officers each worked more than 1,000 overtime hours. One officer worked 2,390 overtime hours, the equivalent of working more than two full-time jobs.
The Corrections Department agrees in part with the finding and says it’s improving custody staffing.
It notes, however, that the amount of overtime is common to a 24-7 operation such as running prisons.
Non-holiday overtime costs for all corrections employees increased from about $57 million in 2004-05 to $77 million in 2006-07. That’s a nearly 36 percent jump.