By John O’Connor
The Associated Press
SPRINGFIELD, Ill. — Overtime pay for Illinois’ prison guards jumped 34 percent last year as the state grappled with its overcrowded penal system and Gov. Pat Quinn’s decision to close some facilities, The Associated Press has learned.
According to an AP analysis, Department of Corrections employees made $62 million in overtime pay in the fiscal year that ended in June, more than in any of the past seven years and more than double the $24 million paid out in 2007.
Prisons officials say the amount of overtime has dropped again in the three months since July, but the previous ballooning of costs corresponded with Quinn’s closing of several facilities as a cost-cutting measure.
Full Story: State prisons’ overtime costs jump 34 percent