OPEA

Board of Corrections Meets

On Friday October 22 the Oklahoma Board of Corrections held their monthly meeting at the Robert Lester Training Center in Oklahoma City.

While suspending the current furlough policy was not specifically on the agenda there was some discussion regarding that issue. The issue was discussed when the Board approved a supplemental budget request for this fiscal year. They approved a total request of $34 million dollars with $9 million of that to be used to halt the furloughs in February.

The Board also approved an appropriations request for FY-12 in the amount of $551.9 million. Included in that request was a 5% increase for uniformed officers. Citing the need to recruit and retain personnel. They also noted that a significant number of officers separate from the Agency after just days on the job.

In the FY-12 request they also requested $1.7 million to provide for 148 Master Sergeant positions and adjustments for lieutenant positions, along with career progression for Corporals to Sergeant. They cited turnover rate of approximately 15.5%. The median years of service for a CO are 1.8 years and the average of 5.3 years of service. It is believed that with the creation of the Master Sergeant pay grade and the increase promotional opportunities the turn over rate will reduce.

While OPEA supports the Board in calling for the pay increase for uniform officers and also the creation of the Master Sergeant position, we are disappointed that in the budget request there was no increase for non-uniformed employees. “All of the employees of the Department of Corrections are working with understaffing and at near capacity and they should be compensated as well,” Sterling Zearley, Executive Director of OPEA said.