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As a twenty plus year Department of Corrections employee I know where some of the budget is being mishandled. In the last eighteen months the DOC has decided to fill all of their vacant correctional officer positions. This was done despite other state agencies having to implement a hiring freeze. It was done despite the fact that paying overtime is cheaper than hiring these new officers. It was done  at the same time our training budget was not funded and training was cut to levels I've never witnessed. If there is to be an honest assessment of the state corrections budget hiring policies need to be examined. When I tried to raise the issue it fell on deaf ears and I quickly became aware that there was no analysis within the department on the cost effectiveness of its hiring policies.

posted 3 years, 7 months ago
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