I don’t see the salaries being exceptionally high–the problem is the OT, benefits and bonuses. It is odd to see bonuses paid in an industry that isn’t promoting “growth”. That is, you would expect to see a sales person get a bonus for increased (or steady) sales, but what does a prison guard have to increase to get a bonus? Is it for good attendance? Preventing riots or promoting safety?
I maintain that this is not a pleasant job and that the higher than normal compensation is needed for recruitment and retention. From the WSJ article comments:
I worked as a California Corrections Peace Officer for five years. Just enough to be retirement vested. There is no comparing a Harvard Law grad to a Prison Officer. I invite the author to attend the Peace Officer Standards and Training Academy. Then go spend five years working at High Desert State Prison in Susanville CA. Wear 30 pounds of body armor and gear. At about 10% of Post you carry a rifle. Expect two or three mandatory eight hour overtimes shifts a week. An in 64 hour weeks. Mandatory due to Staffing requirements. On a daily basis protect Inmates from other Inmates. Get used to riots, rapings, murders, suicides, and killers who can quote Chapter and Verse what their entitled to. Deal with the criminally mentally ill and a culture of Inmate Entitlements. Expect to have to justify the “Use of Force” on paper and in Interviews every week. OH… The best part is you’ll be the “overpaid brutal indulged scapegoat” for all prison problems in the Press. California gives millions to the private “Prison Law Office” at San Quentin to sue the Dept of Corrections. I had a twenty five years Military career and three years working in the Idaho Prision prior to this. I didn’t plan to leave after five years. But how much feces, urine, and HIV infected blood would you want thrown at you? Let the author “walk the walk” before she judges Correction Officers. P.S. We have not had a Contract in years
Robert Dawson, Boise Idaho
The benefits seem pretty excessive, all the paid time off seems to require those on duty to work more OT! I am curious why all the OT–are people injured and can’t come in? Can’t they have officers “on call” to relieve people who are due to get off duty? I think the OT issue needs to be addressed, since that seems to be where poor planning results in large expenses. If Applebee’s and Fed Ex can mandate breaks and shift changes on a 7 hour basis, why can’t a prison? (kidding, sort of. I guess exceptions can be made for riot lock-downs) I don’t have much sympathy for the working holidays and stuff–seems like that could be addressed too–the new recruits at the bottom of the pay scale or ask for volunteers to work holidays. Jewish or atheist officers could work xmas day. Most industries do it this way, or you just have to tough it out and work anyway.
It’d be interesting to see when the high salaries were implemented–perhaps at a time when they couldn’t find anyone to take those jobs? Utimately, the compensation structure was implemented at some past date and now it has overgrown the tax base. I wouldn’t be surprised if the “top earners” are slated for early retirement so that the budget can be brought back in line. A lot of public institutions use this as a way of cutting their long-time employees who have maxed out the pay scale. Private companies do this all the time (which is why being over 40 is a protected class under CA employment law). Your experienced workers are the first to get axed so they can hire cheaper entry level folks.
I’d like to see teachers paid this much and not prison guards. I guess the teacher’s union(s) didn’t have enought “muscle” to amp up the pay scale. I am usually in support of unions, but this one does seem to have gone far over the line of reasonableness.
