The Louisiana Department of Corrections is seeking an additional $21.5 million in the next fiscal year budget. DOC Undersecretary Thomas Bickham said the figure represents what the department usually spends on overtime.
“We typically get caught up in what’s called the Supplemental Appropriation at the end of the fiscal year. So, what this is, is an attempt by the administration (Edwards) to go ahead and fund us at the beginning of the year for an expense that we know that we’re going to have,” said Bickham.
Bickham said the department currently needs to fill about 36-percent of their mandatory guard positions which means employees are having to work overtime to make up for the shortage.
“And on top of that even if we can fill those positions, we turn those positions over at a rate of 73% within the first year,” said Bickham.
The $21.5 million figure also includes a ten percent pay raise for entry-level correctional officers upping the starting salary for cadets to around $32,000 annually in hopes of attracting new employees.
Bickham said if approved the department will also fund a retention program to reduce their 73% employee turnover rate. It is aimed at existing frontline employees in their first three years of employment.
“For somebody who’s just starting in that first year, they’ll get an additional $.50 an hour. If they make it past the first year into the second year they’ll get an additional $.70 an hour. Whereby the third year they’re making an additional dollar an hour,” said Bickham.
Bickham said they have found if an employee makes it past their third year, they usually stay. They are also looking at improving training and work conditions for employees.
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