The West Virginia Division of Corrections and Rehabilitation can’t sustain the cost of using West Virginia National Guard members to work as corrections officers amid a shortage of staff, interim division Director Brad Douglas said Tuesday.
While National Guard members are providing much-needed help and coverage throughout the state’s regional jails and correctional facilities, the Legislature and division officials are looking for any and every way to alleviate the understaffing those facilities, Douglas told the Legislative Regional Jail and Correctional Facility Authority Oversight Committee.
The National Guard members are “absolutely critical” to safe operations in many of the state’s incarceration facilities, but the state needs a new plan, Douglas said.
“The guard is not sustainable, long-term,” Douglas said. “We are not budgeted for that.”
Douglas was answering questions from Delegate David Kelly, R-Tyler, who also is chairman of the House Select Committee on Jails and Prisons.
The House proposed a bill establishing payment for correctional officers based on the cost of living in the communities where they work. The bill died without being voted on by the full House.
The Legislature adopted a bill that authorizes Division of Natural Resources officers to moonlight as corrections officers, in an attempt to shore up staff in the facilities.
Even with the National Guard and some DNR officers in place, Douglas said, a lot of corrections officers are working between 60 and 80 hours each week.
Some facilities have between 55% and 75% job vacancy rates, Douglas said. He said that, while the worst vacancy rates are in the Eastern Panhandle, there are substantial vacancy rates throughout the state.
Kelly said more needs to be done to help with the understaffing.
“What I want everybody to know is this is not a fix,” Kelly said Tuesday. “The National Guard and DNR — this is not a fix. This is not going to fix the problem. Our problem is long-term, and we need to come up with a plan that can attack it.”
Gov. Jim Justice declared a state of emergency for the understaffed jails and correctional facilities on Aug. 11. It marked the second time during Justice’s term as governor that he called a state of emergency over understaffed jails and prisons and called in the National Guard to staff the facilities.
After the first state of emergency, in 2017, the Legislature responded in 2018 by approving three years of pay raises, at 2% each year. But the coronavirus pandemic in 2020 affected the corrections industry in terms of being able to maintain and hire employees, especially when competing with surrounding states, Douglas said.
Tuesday’s meeting was part of the last scheduled legislative interim meetings until the full Legislature convenes for its regular 60-day session on Jan. 11.
Lacie Pierson covers politics. She can be reached at 304-348-1723 or lacie.pierson@hdmediallc.com. Follow @laciepierson on Twitter.
