By Joe Rogalsky,
Delaware State News
DOVER - Correctional officers will soon see a larger paycheck.
A review of their pay, authorized in this year's state budget bill, yielded a 3 percent increase for the officers.
The boost, which brings officers' starting salaries to $33,291, is the latest in a series of increases that have raised salaries 18 percent over the last 18 months.
"Our correctional officers work diligently under stressful conditions to ensure our safety," Gov. Ruth Ann Minner said.
"They face a tremendous responsibility and we have worked for several years to improve their compensation.
"Better compensation for our correctional officers not only rewards their work, but also makes us more competitive in hiring to fill vacancies in our correctional system."
The "selective market variation" section of the budget has been used to adjust pay levels for groups of employees with high turnover rates and vacancy levels.
Correctional officers received a 5 percent raise under the program in August 2004.
In June, legislators added language to the state budget allowing for employee classes to be re-evaluated yearly in the program after receiving initial raises.
To take effect, the director of the Office of Management and Budget, the state controller general and the co-chairs of the legislature's Joint Finance Committee must sign off on the raises.
The 3 percent raises for the officers, which will cost about $2.2 million, were approved Wednesday and are retroactive to Jan. 1.
"When we started looking at the correctional officers a couple years ago, it was apparent we needed to increase starting salaries," said Rep. Joseph G. DiPinto, R-Wilmington, a JFC co-chair.
"It may not solve the whole problem, but it is an example of the continuation of our efforts to solving the issues of attraction and retention."
Wilbur Justice, president of the Correctional Officers Association of Delaware, said the union is verifying the raise figures presented to them by the Department of Correction.
"Our members were told to expect raises of 1 to 5 percent, and everybody was looking at the 5 percent," Mr. Justice said.
"Everybody thought we would get 5 percent and the members feel let down because of the fact that it was 3 percent.
"The correctional officers know we have received large increases the past couple years, but we started out with very low salaries."
The state officials awarded the raises even though guidelines for the salary program suggest employee groups receive raises if they are experiencing a turnover rate of more than 29.75 percent and vacancy rate of more than 20 percent.
According to the Office of Management and Budget, correctional officers are experiencing only a 21.4 percent turnover rate and a 14.8 percent vacancy rate.
"I think 3 percent is appropriate because of the need to not be shortsighted," said OMB Director Jennifer W. Davis, citing the impact staffing shortages could have on prison security.
Commissioner of Correction Stanley W. Taylor said in November he is working on plans to build new prison space that will include ways to entice recruits and convince existing officers to remain on the job.
Some of those enhancements could be announced when Gov. Minner releases her fiscal 2007 budget proposals on Jan. 26.
The correctional officers union has proposed several retention incentives, including automatic bonuses for long-serving employees.
"We are happy that the governor and the co-chairs of the Joint Finance Committee have approved this increase," Mr. Taylor said Thursday.
"We believe it will help us with recruiting and retention as we move forward."
Correctional officers will also receive any across-the-board pay increases for state employees contained in the fiscal year 2007 budget, which takes effect July 1.
Typically, Gov. Minner proposes a general pay hike in her January recommendations and the Joint Finance Committee raises the increase if state revenue estimates climb in the spring.
"All will be revealed Jan. 26," Mrs. Davis said of the size of the governor's pay raise proposal.
"The (3 percent) is on top of anything that might be announced then.
"This governor always makes state employees a priority."
Staff writer Joe Rogalsky can be reached at 741-8226 or jrogalsky@newszap.com
