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03/19/2024 01:24 AM
Pennsylvania State Senate
https://www.legis.state.pa.us/cfdocs/Legis/CSM/showMemoPublic.cfm?chamber=S&SPick=20150&cosponId=19325
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Senate of Pennsylvania
Session of 2015 - 2016 Regular Session

MEMORANDUM

Posted: November 24, 2015 03:48 PM
From: Senator David G. Argall
To: All Senate members
Subject: Examining staffing shortages and overtime costs at the Dept. of Corrections
 
Over the last several years, due to criminal justice reforms, the state reduced its inmate population. However, despite reductions in the number of inmates across the state, the Department of Corrections’ overtime spending increased by more than 57 percent between 2009-10 and 2013-14.

In the last fiscal year alone, the department spent over $85 million in overtime costs. The department is requesting an increase of 10 percent from last fiscal year’s appropriation.

In the near future, I plan on introducing a resolution to study the issue of staffing shortages and mandatory overtime within the department. Conventional wisdom would dictate that a decrease in inmates would result in a decrease in spending, but that has not been the case.

The resolution will examine the costs associated with hiring a new employee (including salary, benefits, retirement, training and equipment) compared to paying current employees overtime. The study will also look at other states and their best practices in terms of corrections spending.

It is my goal that passage of this resolution will lead to future reforms to ensure that tax dollars are being utilized effectively and efficiently.



Introduced as SR263