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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:

Contact:

Lindsay Nichols, PSCOA, Public Relations

Phone:  717-975-0138

Fax:  717-975-0167

Email:  lnichols@pscoa.org

Website:  www.pscoa.org

Corrections Officers Fight Staffing Cut-Backs

Tax payers foot the bill.

Pennsylvania, U.S.—October 8, 2002—As Corrections Officers and their union, Pennsylvania State Corrections Officers Association (PSCOA), fight staffing cut-backs with informational pickets throughout the state on October 18, 2002, top Department of Corrections Officials and inmates reap the benefits.  During a recent management meeting at one of the 29 facilities, the superintendent relayed to the participants that their salary is based on the budget expenditures on overtime.  The more they save, the more they make.

This practice encourages the institutions to reduce staffing levels to avoid overtime expenditures.  The officials that use the guise of being fiscally responsible to justify the reducing of daily staffing complements are the ones whose wallets benefit.  The Department of Corrections’ policy to reward their top officials by reducing their overtime expenditures has a long-term effect of costing the tax-payer more.  The decision to reduce overtime by not staffing towers at SCI Dallas cost the Commonwealth millions of dollars by paying for State Police and additional Corrections Officers to search for two escapees.  As a taxpayer, one must question why a policy exists that compromises the security at the 29 facilities so that the top administrators can make their bank accounts grow.

If that is not enough to upset you, the policy allows every inmate, as of August 31, 2002, a number totaling 39,268, to mail out 10 letters at tax-payers expense.  This is an expenditure of 1.74 million dollars.  This in and of itself is not an injustice, but when you consider that, at a minimum, an inmate receives $15.20 per month for doing nothing but sitting in his cell.  Instead of using the money to pay for postage, most inmates use the money to pay for cable.  We now have a total budget amount of 8.9 million dollars just for doing nothing more than committing a crime.

As Corrections Officers gather to inform the public of how the security at all 29 institutions is compromised, they ask for your support.  Ask your legislators, “Why do our Corrections Officers have to guess if help is on the way when the call goes out for help while the Administration Officials and inmates live life full of luxury.”

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