With the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics projecting a 7 percent decline in correctional officers by 2032, U.S. Sen. Bill Cassidy (R-LA) on Feb. 8 sponsored bipartisan legislation to ensure fair pay for Bureau of Prisons (BOP) employees working in America’s rural areas.
“Paying people what they’re worth is good for recruitment and good for providing security to prisoners,” said Sen. Cassidy.
The Pay Our Correctional Officers Fairly Act, S. 3771, has two original cosponsors, including U.S. Sen. Richard Blumenthal (D-CT).
If enacted, S. 3771 aims to address staffing shortages at the Federal Correctional Complex Oakdale in Allen Parish, La., and the Federal Correctional Complex Pollock in Grant Parish, La., by allowing for competitive pay that better reflects the cost of living, commute times, and alternative careers for BOP employees, according to Sen. Cassidy’s staff.
“Bureau of Prisons employees in Louisiana are underpaid and understaffed, leading to exhaustion, fatigue, and increased safety risks,” Sen. Cassidy said. “We cannot allow these conditions to continue to be the norm at [Federal Correctional Complex] Oakdale, Pollock, and elsewhere.”
Specifically, S. 3771 would increase locality pay rates for all BOP employees located 200 miles from an established federal locality pay area.
The bill is companion legislation to the same-named H.R. 3199, introduced in May 2023 by U.S. Reps. Randy Weber (R-TX), Matt Cartwright (D-PA), and 11 other original cosponsors.