Central Louisiana News

U.S. Senators Bill Cassidy, Richard Blumenthal, and Bob Casey have introduced the Pay Our Correctional Officers Fairly Act to ensure fair pay for Bureau of Prisons (BOP) employees in rural areas. This bill aims to address the staffing shortages at Federal Correctional Complex (FCC) Oakdale in Allen Parish and FCC Pollock in Grant Parish by providing competitive pay that better reflects the cost of living, commute times, alternative careers, and the hard work and dedication of BOP employees.

According to Dr. Cassidy, "Bureau of Prisons employees in Louisiana are underpaid and understaffed, leading to exhaustion, fatigue, and increased safety risks. We cannot allow these conditions to continue. Paying people what they're worth is good for recruitment and good for providing security to prisoners."

The shortage of correctional officers has been growing over the past four years, with the Bureau of Labor Statistics projecting a 7% decline in correctional officers by 2032. This understaffing has created dangerous work environments in prisons, putting both employees and inmates at risk.

FCC Oakdale, which houses approximately 2,000 federal inmates, is particularly affected by low staffing levels. To meet basic safety needs, the facility has had to rely on mandatory overtime and using support staff to guard inmates. FCC Pollock is facing similar challenges.

Companion legislation has also been introduced in the U.S. House of Representatives by U.S. Representatives Randy Weber and Matt Cartwright, along with a group of 29 members. This bipartisan effort highlights the importance of addressing the fair pay issue for BOP employees.

Under current policies, BOP has been using cooks, teachers, and nurses to guard inmates, which pulls these employees away from their usual duties and negatively impacts inmates by limiting visitations, recreational time, and academic enrichment opportunities.

BOP employees are typically paid on the General Schedule (GS) pay scale, with slight modifications for correctional officers. However, locality raises are determined by local private sector salary rates rather than the cost of living. This means that an individual's pay rate is based on where they work, not where they live. As a result, places located outside of the locality pay areas are compensated on a lower Rest of US (RUS) pay scale.

Dr. Cassidy has been advocating for addressing staffing shortages at FCC Oakdale and FCC Pollock in the past. He has highlighted the challenges faced by these facilities and called for staffing increases to ensure the safety and security of both employees and inmates.

This bill aims to provide fair pay to BOP employees in rural areas, addressing the staffing shortages that have been plaguing correctional facilities. By offering competitive pay that reflects the realities of the job, it is hoped that recruitment and retention of correctional officers will improve, leading to safer and more secure prisons.