Low pay costs taxpayers money!!

Correctionsone is reporting:

 ATLANTA, Ga. — Turnover in Georgia’s adult and juvenile justice systems, which pay their correctional officers far less than what their peers receive in other Southeastern states, required training for nearly 3,000 replacements in the most recent fiscal year at a cost to taxpayers of about $30 million.

Take note Hennepin County!. The Detention Deputies working for the Hennepin County Sheriff's Office in the jail are THE LOWEST PAID IN THE SEVEN COUNTY METRO AREA!. 

That's right, the biggest busiest jail in the upper Midwest, with 839 beds, is the lowest paid. On average $2-$4 an hour lower than their metro area counterparts at smaller county jails.

Our jail is hemorrhaging employees. This brings the experience level down and the risk of lawsuits up. 

I was talking to one of the Hennepin County workhouse CO's last week and he said they hired 5 new CO's and just as they finished training 3 left to work for Ramsey County which STARTS at $4.00  an hour more.

3 of my longtime co-workers in the County jail left in the last week for better paying jobs and our boss has no idea how many more are about to.

Low pay leads to turnover, expensive hiring and training of replacements, inexperienced staff and lawsuits.

It can't be that they can't afford it. In 2007 the jail was staffed with 181 detention deputies and 39 licensed (sworn). The licensed deputies make $1,000 a month more. Under Sheriff Stanek the detention deputies now only number 142 while the number of  licensed deputies in the jail has risen to 93. That's an increase of 54 licensed deputies doing the same job as the detention at a cost of $54,000 a month more! Do the math. I should note, Hennepin County is the only jail increasing licensed staff, the others have almost eliminated them from their jails.

Hennepin County just raised our Sheriff's pay to $157,000 a year, making him the highest paid in the state. Up $12,000 a year from six years ago. All while keeping their Detention staff at the lowest paid in the metro-area. 

Go ahead County Board, pat yourselves on the back for winning the battle, but you will lose the war when no one is willing to work these essential public safety jobs.