The AFGE Council of Prison Locals urges Congress to provide more funding for the Bureau of Prisons (BOP) if we are to address staffing, safety, and security issues.
The proposed fiscal 2024 budget for BOP as part of the budget deal sees no additional funding for salaries and actually cuts funding for facilities maintenance by 38% even though there is a nearly $3 billion backlog of major building repairs.
The budget proposal comes as BOP continues to face major staffing shortages and retention problems.
“As I testified before a Senate subcommittee hearing last week, there is a 40% shortage of federal correctional officers nationwide due largely to non-competitive salaries and abysmal working conditions inside our federal prisons,” said CPL President Brandy Moore White.
Over the past seven years, the authorized positions within the Bureau have decreased from 43,369 to the current count of 34,470 staff members. This reduction of nearly 8,900 staff members not only compromises the safety and security of both staff and inmates, but it also raises major concerns and hinders our ability to effectively carry out the Bureau’s mission of rehabilitation and reintegration.
Moore White said the staffing shortages can be resolved only by addressing the low wages paid to correctional officers and staff. Salaries for BOP officers top out at around $71,000, while law enforcement officers at the Border Patrol and Immigrations and Customs Enforcement can earn nearly $108,000 at the end of their careers. Without addressing this pay disparity, the Bureau will continue to struggle to attract and retain employees.
“Failing to provide the Bureau of Prisons with the funding it desperately needs to address staffing, safety, and security issues will make it even harder for employees to do their jobs and make our prisons more dangerous environments both for employees and inmates,” she added.
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