Contact: Aaron Collins, 608-266-2254
MADISON – Today, at his confirmation hearing, Secretary-designee Kevin Carr addressed the looming staffing shortage crisis at Wisconsin correctional institutions. He specifically noted the pay discrepancy between Wisconsin and the rest of the Midwest region. Correctional officers in Wisconsin make $16.32 per hour and, based on his department’s research, the average in the region is approximately $22 per hour. Carr also stated the Governor Evers would be addressing this issue in his budget which will be introduced next week. Assembly Democratic Leader Gordon Hintz (D-Oshkosh) released the following statement on these comments:
“I applaud Secretary Carr for addressing this significant issue in our corrections system. The fact is, if we want to recruit and retain corrections officers in Wisconsin, we need a pay progression policy. We also must treat these as careers, not simply jobs that people hold for a period of time. Work at correctional institutions is both challenging and important. With a tight labor market and a non-competitive pay structure, we’re seeing overworked and underpaid staff across the board. It’s unsafe and unacceptable for guards to be working multiple double shifts each and every week. It is a welcome change to see an administration facing this issue head on as a priority.”
