By C1 Staff
OKLAHOMA CITY — A senator is pushing for raises for all Oklahoma Department of Corrections employees.
KOCO reported that the state is facing a 40 percent turnover rate due to low pay and dangerous prison conditions. Officials said 30 percent of officer positions are waiting to be filled.
Sen. Roger Thompson proposed a bill that would provide a 5 percent pay raise for all corrections employees.
“We’ve got to do something,” Thompson said. “Number one, to say we appreciate what you’re doing but, number two, we’re costing the state of Oklahoma millions of dollars retraining employees because we don’t have enough to stay.”
According to KOCO, the bill comes after corrections officials reported that the state’s prisons are overcrowded at 109 percent capacity.