Wage increase for South Dakota corrections officers aimed at stemming 25% staffing shortage
More than a quarter of the correctional officer positions with the South Dakota Department of Corrections are unfilled, DOC Secretary Kellie Wasko said during a task force meeting for the incarceration construction fund on Tuesday.
Of the 519 uniformed positions within the department, 137 of them are currently open.
Wasko, and others, are hoping the decision to increase the starting hourly wage from $20 to $23.50, a 17% increase, will encourage more people to apply to work as correctional officers.
Tenured officers, such as corporals, sergeants, lieutenants and captains, also had their pay boosted.
More: Corrections secretary: Prison staffing shortages stabilizing after 2021 spike
Wasko said during the meeting that DOC was already starting to see applications for starting level correction officers filter in.
DOC has been in turmoil since June 2020, when vacancies hit the department hard. Between that time and July 2022, vacant positions increased 112%. Officers were leaving due to higher wages being offered by competitors, as well as internal matters such as low staff moral.
An investigation into the DOC during the spring of 2021 regarding allegations of sexual harassment misconduct and nepotism led to the firings of former DOC Secretary Mike Leidholt and then-state penitentiary Warden Darin Young.
The inadequate staffing was so bad, Wasko said, that at one point the number of vaccines in the department meant it couldn't hit minimum staffing levels.
More: Former DOC official part of workplace misconduct fallout taking South Dakota to court
Wasko said staff vacancies in corrections are to be expected but normal levels tend to be around 8% to 10%.
Efforts to bring staffing back to adequate levels included $5,000 and $10,000 signing bonuses for people wanting to work at the women's penitentiary in Pierre and the Mike Durfee State Prison in Springfield.
Because of the wage increase, signing bonuses have been removed, Wasko said.
The current 2023 fiscal cost for existing corrections staff is $3.3. million, according to data from the Department of Corrections.
Follow Annie Todd on Twitter @AnnieTodd96. Reach out to her with tips, questions and other community news at atodd@argusleader.com or give her a call at 605-215-3757.
This article originally appeared on Sioux Falls Argus Leader: Uniformed staff shortages at SD DOC account for 25% of workforce
