Overtime gives prison guards fat salary (over $100,000 yr.)

[donsu]

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20061223/ap_on_re_us/california_prisons

About 6,000 California corrections officers earned more than $100,000 in the last fiscal year thanks to overtime work in the strained prison system, and one brought in more than a quarter of a million.

Overtime added $220 million to the $453 million base pay for those prison workers, the Los Angeles Times reported Saturday. More than 900 of them earned $50,000 or more in overtime alone.

Overtime costs have soared since the officers' current labor contract took effect five years ago, rising 24 percent in the third quarter of this year compared to the same point last year, the newspaper reported.

"This business of overtime is just out of control," said Lew Uhler, president of the Sacramento-based National Tax Limitation Committee. "If you had a comparable situation in the private sector, the management would have been fired long ago."

-snip-

The biggest payout to a corrections officer for the fiscal year that ended in June was $252,570, which went to a lieutenant. That's more than the salaries of the corrections chief, who makes $225,000, and Gov.
Arnold Schwarzenegger, who declined what would be a $206,500 paycheck this year.

Schwarzenegger has vowed to reform the nation's largest prison system, which incarcerates almost 174,000 people in 33 prisons that were designed to hold 100,000. He has announced a plan to ease crowding by building prisons, rehabilitating prisoners to cut down on repeat offenders and reviewing sentencing laws that lock up many nonviolent criminals.
--------------------------


the owners of private prisons and their stock holders snicker all the way to the bank

[liberalnurse]

1. I certainly believe

they earned every nickle. I have the utmost respect for Correction Officers who place themselves in harms way on a daily basis.

[elehhhhna]

2. As do I, but, really, if they have a manpower shortage they need to HIRE

more people.

Studies show that once you've worked a 10-hour shift your effectiveness goes downhill fast. Overworked guards are a danger to themselves.

[NMMNG]

14. Agreed

Just yesterday I saw a show about a corrections officer who got beaten so badly by inmates that she needed extensive reconstructive surgery on her face (and she's still disfigured and traumatized). They deserve every penny they get IMO.

[madmusic]

18. I saw that, too...

Tragic, no doubt about that. Her trauma was palpable has she walked through "the scene of the crime." No one is saying it isn't a dangerous job.

But do you a prison guard union should be in the political arena fighting for tougher laws even against the non-violent? Doesn't that seem like it would make the job even more dangerous?

[NMMNG]

20. Actually, as far as non-violent offenders go

I think many of them should be given non-prison penalties like community service, fines, restitution, etc. combined with mandatory counseling, education and other rehabilitation. Not only would that free up space in the overcrowded prisons, but it would avoid the problem of the non-violent offenders being imprisoned and learning more criminal behaviors (which is only one negative side-effect of prison life). They could remain in the community, actually repay society for their crimes and potentially make something of themselves rather than just being cooped up for several months/years then getting spit back out no better than they were before.

[madmusic]

38. The prison guard union is against that...

And is against rehabilitation programs in the prisons. They ran out http://cbs13.com/local/local_story_354234853.html">Jeanne Woodford who was in favor of http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?file=%2Fchronicle%2Farchive%2F2004%2F06%2F21%2FMNG0179A821.DTL">rehibilitation.

Earlier this year, Woodford left San Quentin, where she worked for 25 years and rose from jobs as a guard and counselor to take the top spot. Picked by Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger to be the boss of the state's 32 wardens, she is expected to win confirmation from a key state Senate committee this week, a major step on her way to officially becoming director of the Department of Corrections.

Her task is to revamp the most troubled operation in state government.

Why did they run her out? Why are they against rehabilitation and alternative sentencing? What does that have to do with their union?

Someone explain that to me well enough and I'll shut up.

EDIT: fixed 'split' infinitive.

[High Plains]

3. The California prison guards union is a major player.

They lobby for more crimes and tougher sentences. Fuck them.

[donsu]

4. kick

nt

[hamerfan]

5. That is what unions do,

Take care of their brothers and sisters. It's a shame that particular union has to "lobby for more crimes and tougher sentences" to protect their membership, but that's what they do. BTW, do you have a link to support that allegation?
dumpbush

[liberalnurse]

6. What does that have to do with it?

The officers work hard, risk their life daily and deserved to be compensated. Where is the evidence that the Union's lobby for tougher crimes and punishment over any other victims rights group or community task group? I doubt that the Unions actually carry any legislative weight compared to the general publics. The people of California have voted for tougher penalties and sentences.....the Unions are insignificant in this area beyond basic support.

[madmusic]

8. Here's the evidence

http://www.cjcj.org/cpp/strong_arm.html

The union is the most powerful political force in the state.

[madmusic]

11. Yeah, right....

And the California nurses union is calling for tough sentences for anyone getting an abortion.

And the teacher's union is calling for the imprisonment of anyone who fails a grade, because, you know, they are stupid enough to be criminals.

And the http://groups.myspace.com/metermaidhaterscom">meter maid union is calling for permission to wear guns so they can shoot anyone who argues with them.

That's just what they do.

[liberalnurse]

22. I know that the ANA is not

anti-abortion...Now that you mention it......maybe we ought to look at tougher crimes for the males who fail to pay their child support....More jail time would do the trick....lock-em up......See how they like having sex with a celly...At least they won't get pregnant.


Here is a link to ice down your flame thread since you post inaccurate information:

http://www.prochoice.org/news/releases/20061108b.html


snip>

Proposition 85 was opposed by NAF and other medical authorities such as the California Medical Association, the California chapter of the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists, and the California Nurses Association.

Here another link regarding Ca. Nurses Association and abortion/parental consent.....

http://www.voterguide.ss.ca.gov/props/prop85/argue_rebutt85.html

[madmusic]

24. Do you have proof teachers aren't trying to imprison failing students?

Just sayin'.

[liberalnurse]

25. Do you have proof that they are?

:shrug: Just asking since this may be LBN!

[madmusic]

36. You're kidding, right?

Please tell me you're kidding.

[devilgrrl]

10. Yep. The friggin' unions. We should get rid of all of them.

:sarcasm:

[madmusic]

12. There's a word for this...

Illogical is a euphemism for it.

[theHandpuppet]

7. In the U.S. some guys get paid 40 million to bat a ball

Sorry, but I'm not going to be outraged that a corrections officer gets paid 100,000 a year with overtime. Our teachers, police, firemen, nurses, etc are all underpaid. They all deserve more for doing these jobs.

[madmusic]

21. True: Our teachers, police, firemen, nurses, etc are all underpaid.

And if all the money keeps gong to prisons, they will continue being underpaid. California builds more prisons than colleges or universities.

[sweetheart]

9. Evil!!!

:grr: when evil men are paid princely sums to perpetuate injustice, what does the state elevate?

The state can't afford decent schools, but an asshole earns 100K.. :grr:

[Rosemary2205]

13. They are still UNDERPAID

Every police officer, fire fighter, teacher and nurse in this country is seriously underpaid.

[madmusic]

16. The rest of the story

Dan Macallair, executive director of the nonprofit Center on Juvenile and Criminal Justice and a critic of the state corrections system, contends that tough sentences imposed on nonviolent offenders have inflated the inmate population. And he noted that the correctional officers union has pushed for many of the laws that have led to crowding.

"As long as overcrowding exists, overtime becomes a very lucrative source of income," Macallair said.

Alexander said the state could reduce overtime by hiring as many as 4,000 people to fill vacancies.

He blamed the guard shortage on a decision to shut the academy for new recruits for eight months in 2004.

http://www.latimes.com/news/printedition/la-me-guards23dec23,1,6226174.story?page=2&cset=true&ctrack=1

[liberalnurse]

19. I'll second that Motion!

Damn right Skippy! :yourock:

[madmusic]

23. "Everytime you build a prison, you close a school."- Victor Hugo

* From 1852 to 1984 (132 years), California built 12 prisons.
* From 1984 to 1998 (14 years), California has opened 21 new prisons.
* From 1988 to 1998 (10 years), California built 1 state university and 1 University of California Campus.

http://diso.stanford.edu/diso/articles/prisons.html

[liberalnurse]

26. So what?

I like the inmates behind bars.....that said....they can get their GED from Prison.

[davekriss]

37. Recall the death penalty situation in Illinois

This from the Congressional Record by Senator Fiengold:

In Illinois, since 1973, 13 innocent people have been freed from death row in the time that 12 were executed. Governor George Ryan, a supporter of the death penalty, has done two things in response: He has effectively imposed a moratorium on executions...

Given the error rate in capital offenses where the State supposedly is extraordinarily careful to get it right, what do you suppose the error rate is for lesser offenses?

I imagine many inmates are erroneously imprisoned. Further, most of these come from economically disadvantaged classes where they can't afford to sufficiently defend themselves. Meanwhile, law enforcement and the criminal justice system blindly feeds the beast.

Also, I assume you are aware that the United States, the so-called "land of the free", now imprisons more of its citizens than any other nation on earth -- more than Russia, more than China, more than any number of totalitarian nation on the face of the globe? (We lead whether looking at it on a per capita basis or the absolute numbers.) You are aware, also, that security and prisons are among our fastest growing industries?

I mean nothing else than we should not be so glib about "inmates". There but for the grace of god...

On edit: Fogot to add the link, http://www.senate.gov/~feingold/speeches/senfloor/moratoriuminroduction.html

[Jeff12]

27. Statistics and omissions

Maybe you would like to house some prisoners in your house?

The problem I have with the stats you posted is that you have provided the number of prisons California has built in the last 146 years, but the number of universities only in the last ten years.

Why did you not provide the stats that show how many colleges and universities have opened in California in the last 146 years?

Maybe it would have blown away whatever statement you were trying to make?

[liberalnurse]

28. Excellent!!!!!!!!!!!!!

:bounce: :thumbsup: :applause: :applause: :applause: :rofl:

[madmusic]

31. If Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger and lawmakers really want to alleviate prison overcrowding

HEADLINE: Editorial: The Prison Two-Step - Local Role, Sentencing Changes are Keys
DATE: August 5, 2006

If Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger and lawmakers really want to alleviate prison overcrowding, control spending on prisons and avert a takeover by the federal courts, they should shift their attention away from building more prisons.

Instead, they should look at how California deals with nonviolent, low-level offenders such as check forgers, shoplifters and petty thieves.

In past decades, those offenders did their time at the local level. They were sent to county jails and community punishment programs, which cost much less to operate than state prisons. Costly state prison space was reserved for violent, repeat offenders such as murderers, robbers, rapists and kidnappers.

Today, however, our state prisons are bursting with more than 170,000 prisoners. But the problem isn't that there are too many violent, repeat offenders. Only 85,000 inmates are classified as Level III or IV prisoners, the levels requiring high and maximum security prisons. The rest, the Level I and II offenders, are in prison for property and drug-related crimes or parole violations. Most of them have terms of 18 months or less.

Putting these prisoners in higher security state prisons is like a hospital putting all patients in intensive care rooms. It is expensive and unnecessary.

http://www.cjcj.org/press/editorial_theprison.html

[madmusic]

33. As Union's Influence Grows, So Does Its Share of Blame

DATE: July 22, 2006
By Mason Stockstill

The California prison guards union is often described as politically powerful.

That's because the California Correctional Peace Officers Association isn't afraid to throw its weight around in Sacramento. The millions of dollars it's spent on campaign contributions is just the beginning of the union's influence.

"They're a very persuasive special interest in the capital," said Sen. Jackie Speier, D-Hillsborough, in an interview with Mother Jones magazine. "They're accustomed to getting what they want and have historically gotten everything they wanted."

With about 30,000 dues-paying members, the CCPOA can make or break a candidate's election hopes.

But as the union's strength has increased, it's also become a popular target, blamed by many for California's myriad prison failures.

http://www.cjcj.org/press/as_unions.html

[madmusic]

34. Reforming California's Prisons: An Interview With Jackie Speier

There is, however, one thing that most Californians would agree on: too much money is spent on the prison industrial complex. The California Department of Corrections (CDC) costs taxpayers $5.3 billion per year to keep 163,000 men and women in prison—$31,000 per prisoner. Budgetary pressures finally came to a head when, after the CDC exceeded spending projections for the sixth straight year, State Senator Jackie Speier (D-CA) did what nobody else dared to do: she launched a series of investigations, through the Senate Select Committee on Government Oversight, on conditions in the prisons and how the CDC spends its money. Then, in February of 2005, Speier introduced seven bills related to prison reform, dealing with issues such as health care, education, drug treatment, housing, and gender sensitivity in women's prisons. These initiatives have pitted Speier against California's politically powerful prison guards' union, which has long benefited directly from the unfettered expansion of the prison system.

In April of this year, Jackie Speier spent the night at Valley State Prison for Women to find out for herself what the living conditions in a California women's prison were like. Having recently visited Valley State myself as an attorney representative for California Prison Focus, I was curious to hear about her experience, and to find out more about the reforms she was pursuing.

Mother Jones: What sparked your interest in prison reform?

http://www.motherjones.com/news/qa/2005/07/jackie_speier.html

[madmusic]

35. PACs and Contributions

CCPOA is alleged to have as many as eleven PACs, according to Los Angeles Times reporter Dan Moraine. 1 San Francisco public records show four PACs that clearly mention the CCPOA name. Together, they have contributed well over $9.6 million to political campaigns in two election cycles. 2

Below is a summary of the 4 primary PACs of the CCPOA. Each section describes the PAC and highlights a political influence from 1997 to late 2001, noting top single donations and notable recipients. Some periods are missing from the files of the Department of Elections. For some PACs, these periods are minimal, covering a few months here and there. For others, there are entire years missing. Thus, these figures give only a portion of the donations of each PAC. Note these characteristics of CCPOA PACs:

1. Each PAC has a unique flavor and giving function.
2.Money moves readily from PAC to PAC.
3. The four primary PACs of the CCPOA funnel money not only to candidates but to other organizations such as Crime Victims United of California (CVUC) and the Native American Peace Officers (NAPO).

http://www.cjcj.org/cpp/political_power.php

[madmusic]

30. Last year corrections consumed 8.8 percent of the general fund

In 1973, with a population of about 21 million, California had about 22,500 in state prisons -- an incarceration rate of about 100 per 100,000 population, a rate that remained about the same through the 1970s. Today, with a population of about 37 million, California has about 170,000 in state prisons -- an incarceration rate of more than 450 per 100,000.

A rate of 400 per 100,000 would give us a prison population of 148,000. A rate of 350 per 100,000 would give us a prison population of 129,500.

Our incarceration rates per 100,000 population in California have been at historic highs since the mid-1990s -- and in Schwarzenegger's time in office, they're creeping back up again, even though they're dropping in other states.

To put these numbers in perspective, consider this: The United States leads the world in incarceration rates and California ranks in the top half of states.

http://www.cjcj.org/press/editorial_crime.html

[hamerfan]

29. How true! "Every time you build a prison, you close a school."- Victor Hugo

Unfortunately, the state sees the correctional system as a moneymaking program. The Fed's pay the states X amount of dollars for each inmate in their system. Schools, on the other hand, are a money losing program. At least that's how the current batch of idiots in there think. Bottom line NOW, not the long view.
But I remain pro-union, even though the ideas presented in this thread for non-violent offenders make a LOT of sense.
dumpbush

[madmusic]

32. I'm pro union too...

But we would not tolerate the nurse's union campaigning for laws against abortion, nor the teacher's union campaigning for laws to imprison minors as likely criminals under "zero tolerance" laws just because they get bad grades. A union's job is to negotiate wages, benefits and conditions.

edit typo

[MrSlayer]

15. Good for them. That's a crazy job.

You have to be crazy to take that job in the first place and to stay even longer than you have to deserves compensation. It's very dangerous and disgusting a lot of the time.

[madmusic]

17. The guards at Guantanamo only need to form a union...

That would silence the liberals.

edit typo