The state Senate has restored money for targeted equity pay for corrections officers at the state’s prison facilities.
The Senate Appropriations Committee panel restored $2.1 million for those equity adjustments. Sen. Terry Wanzek (R-Jamestown) told the Senate the State offers a starting wage of $15 an hour for corrections officers – and he says Burleigh County, for example, offers $18 an hour.
"We had 71 correctional officers quit, out of 158 correctional officers in the State Penitentiary," said Wanzek. "We feel it's very important that we do something about their wages and target their salaries."
The Senate’s version of the budget contains a contingency for 16 additional parole and probation positions. Wanzek says that’s based on case loads for those individuals.
The Senate’s version of the Department of Corrections budget also contains money for the Department to contract for jail space. Wanzek says the Senate Appropriations Committee was told the Department could see another 74 inmates over the next two years – and there’s no room in the Pen.
"The prisons as full," said Wanzek. "It's like we often say in Appropriations -- the State Pen can't put a 'no vacancy' sign."
The budget is nearly $10 million more than the House approved, but Wanzek says it’s still down $30.7 million from the original executive budget request. He says the final budget will have to be worked out on conference committee.