Pay raises for prison guards first step in fixing problems

Gov. Sam Brownback has an announcement scheduled for Thursday at the El Dorado Correctional Facility. He’ll presumably announce an increase in pay for corrections officers as a way to make the jobs more attractive when understaffing has become a critical issue at El Dorado and other state prisons.

It would be the right move for Brownback to put a short-term solution in place himself rather than convene a special session of the Legislature. A pay raise and other temporary measures would get the prison system to 2018, when some legislators have already promised quick hearings on prison problems.

Corrections officers need relief. An increase in pay won’t immediately cut down on 12-hour shifts or eliminate recent safety concerns caused by inmate crowding and a workforce that’s understaffed — by 300 workers statewide as of Aug. 1.

What it will do is send a signal that the state recognizes the problem and will try to become more competitive in pay with nearby states and local jails. A better wage will help attract and keep more qualified applicants.

A starting salary for Kansas corrections officers is $29,016, compared to more than $40,000 in Colorado and Iowa, and $34,800 in Nebraska. Kansas’ starting wage of $13.95 is also lower than Sedgwick County’s starting wage.

Watch for the amount of the pay increase to be introduced by Brownback. Statehouse Democrats are looking for 10 percent. Senate president Susan Wagle, a Republican from Wichita who toured El Dorado prison last week, wants to leave a pay raise to Brownback and corrections secretary Joe Norwood.

Just as important will be other measures Brownback may introduce. A pay bump may find more guards, but adequate staffing isn’t enough to quell the recent problems with security at El Dorado and Lansing.

This story was originally published August 16, 2017 at 2:11 PM with the headline "Pay raises for prison guards first step in fixing problems."