West Virginia Legislature Approves Millions in Raises for Corrections Employees Amid Lawsuit Over Working Conditions
West Virginia’s state Legislature has recently approved millions of dollars in raises and bonuses for corrections employees, aiming to alleviate the burden faced by jail and prison workers. This move comes on the same day that a lawsuit was filed against Republican Governor Jim Justice and other state leaders regarding the working conditions in the state’s regional jails and prisons.
The Republican-dominated Legislature passed several spending bills during a special session called by Governor Justice. These included over $21 million in pay increases for corrections officers, as well as bonuses for other staff members. The session also saw appropriations for various other projects, such as $150 million for the State Road Fund and $45 million to support Marshall University’s cybersecurity program.
This special session follows Governor Justice’s declaration of a state of emergency last year, in which he called on the state National Guard to help address the steep worker attrition rate at the state’s jails and prisons. Currently, these facilities have a vacancy rate exceeding 30%.
Del. Brandon Steele of Raleigh County expressed the need to prioritize the well-being of those working in corrections, stating, We’ve got to take care of the people that are making sure we don’t look like a Third World country out there with the way that we’re taking care of our prisons.
However, as the Legislature took action on the funding bills, a federal lawsuit was filed against the state demanding $330 million to improve prison and jail conditions and address worker vacancies. The lawsuit alleges inhumane living conditions and accuses Governor Justice and others of neglecting overcrowding issues while failing to provide regular funding for maintenance.
Although the government hasn’t provided an immediate response to the lawsuit, lawmakers moved forward with approving the pay increases for correctional officers and two one-time bonuses of $2,294 for non-correctional officer jail staff, including kitchen staff. The total cost of these bonuses is estimated to be around $71,127.
In addition to the financial measures, the Legislature passed a bill mandating the provision of free temporary identification cards to individuals released from incarceration. This legislation clarifies a previous bill from 2019 that emphasized state efforts to help individuals obtain identification cards upon release. The new bill also extends the validity of temporary identification cards from 90 to 180 days, with the aim of reducing recidivism rates.
Furthermore, another bill approved by the Legislature requires larger cities to cover the daily costs of housing certain inmates in jails who appear before a magistrate court instead of a municipal court. Meanwhile, an additional bill empowers the state Supreme Court to develop a pretrial release program for individuals convicted of nonviolent misdemeanors.
The government’s decision to allocate funds for these appropriations, including the raises and bonuses, will be partially covered by the state’s $1.8 billion surplus from the previous fiscal year. Other funding will involve reallocating money from existing sources.
It is crucial to note that while the Legislature took steps to address the concerns of corrections employees, the lawsuit highlights ongoing discontent over the state’s prison and jail conditions. To ensure accountability and fairness, it is essential for all parties involved to work towards resolving the issues raised in the lawsuit while simultaneously striving to improve the working conditions and overall situation within the state’s correctional facilities.
