03/28/2024

Jerry Brown has weak argument for ‘large’ prison guard raises, analyst says

Gov. Jerry Brown’s administration has a “weak justification” for the short and sweet tentative contract offer it struck with the state’s union for correctional officers, a new report from the Legislative Analyst’s Office says.

Brown is offering a 5 percent raise to the California Correctional Peace Officers Association, which would be the best wage increase for the 27,000 employees it represents since 2006.
A corrections officer escorts an inmate back to his cell in East Block, a five-level facility housing hundreds of condemned inmates at San Quentin State Prison. Randy Pench rpench@sacbee.com

The analyst says that “large” wage increase might be unnecessary.

“We see no evidence of recruitment or retention issues to justify the large pay increase. In fact, we find that (CCPOA-represented workers) compensation levels likely are sufficient to allow correctional facilities to meet personnel needs at the present time,” the report says.

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