Charleston Daily Mail
CHARLESTON, W. Va. — Public safety is a fundamental duty of government. That means locking up people who are a danger to society.
But properly staffing prisons is not as politically attractive as say, all-day pre-school for 4-year-olds. Over the years, the Division of Corrections has had to go begging.
This week, legislators heard once again about how low pay makes it difficult to keep correctional officers. They leave for more lucrative jobs at federal prisons or prisons in other states.
Salaries start at $22,584 a year, state Corrections Commissioner Jim Rubenstein told a legislative committee.
Federal prison salaries start at $39,012 a year, he said. Ah, the things one can do by borrowing $1 trillion a year.
Staff vacancies mean more overtime. That means the staff is overworked. Fatigue and frustration lead to anger.
“It’s important to realize the nature of our three divisions and what we’re dealing with from the juvenile offender to the adult offenders,” Rubenstein said.
His department deals with juveniles, adults who want to rehabilitate and hard-core criminals.
“That’s why it becomes critical for our folks, especially those line staff and those captains and lieutenants who are the shift commanders and supervisors,” Rubenstein said.
His plan is simple: An across-the-board increase of $2,000 this year, followed by longevity pay -- step increases -- and reimbursement of tuition. In short, what teachers can expect.
Retaining officers would lead to a reduction in overtime costs, which would help pay for the program.
But while the money must come from somewhere -- state taxpayers are tapped out -- legislators should look somewhere else in the state budget for the money.
Only 4.4 percent of the state’s $4.4 billion general fund goes to corrections. The national average is 7.4 percent, according to the National Association of State Budget Officers.
The money is there, but the will is not.
Legislators need to quit scrimping on corrections. A revolving door in prison personnel is a risk the state should no longer take. The state needs well-trained officers. That means paying them more.