Sequester will have a drastic affect on prisons. Reduced working hours for correctional guards will result in unsafe conditions not only for inmates, but also for correctional guards. Have no doubt, in some prisons, there will be increased security issues because of sequester. The loss of income will place greater stress on correctional guards who are already stressed from their working environment. There is concern that more overcrowding in prisons will occur because of sequester. The following article discusses that the federal prisons may have to have full or partial lockdowns. In a full lockdown, the inmates never leave their cells. The following article reports on federal prisons in Pennsylvania, but sequester shall have an impact on federal prisons, state prisons, and local prisons.
February 27, 2013 – New Castle News
By John Finnerty
HARRISBURG — About 3,500 employees of the federal bureau of prisons in Pennsylvania received notice they will likely have to take a 10 percent pay cut.
This will be done by working reduced hours beginning in April and continuing until the end of September, according to a union representative. A notice sent to the union indicates all affected employees would need to take 14 unpaid days off.
The top general in the Pennsylvania National Guard said that while the Pentagon has directed 800,000 civilian employees be furloughed, the National Guard will probably be able to absorb the spending cuts without laying off any staff. Other state agencies said Monday they are still trying to determine what the cuts would mean. A Department of Education spokesman said any cuts affecting schools would not kick in until the summer.
The sequester will cut more than $300 billion from the Bureau of Prisons’ budget. In a Feb. 1 letter to Rep. Barbara Mikulski obtained by Forbes Magazine, Attorney General Eric Holder warned sequester cuts would force federal prisons to go into full or partial lockdowns in an attempt to protect staff and inmates.
Pennsylvania is home to 13 federal prison facilities, housing more than 11,000 inmates. Three of the prisons are penitentiaries, meaning they deal with high-security prisoners and the Lewisburg penitentiary operates as a “special management unit” meaning it deals with prisoners who have been identified as behavioral risks. In the special management unit, inmates can spend up to 23 hours a day in their cells.
The cut in funding will only aggravate security concerns in a federal system already straining from over-crowding, said Phil Glover, Northeast regional vice president for the American Federation of Government Employees, the union representing federal prison workers.
Glover, a guard at the federal correctional institution at Loretto near Johnstown, said that facility, while classified as low-security, houses 400 to 500 “medium security” inmates because of over-crowding at the higher-security facilities.
On top of the security concerns associated with reducing the hours of prison employees, the move only aggravates the financial strain as workers must deal with a 10 percent pay cut after going with a wage freeze for the past three years, Glover said.
The median salary for a federal prison guard is $53,000, meaning the 14 furlough days would cost each guard about $2,850.
“The thing that amazes us is that some members of our Congressional delegation seem to think it’s not a big deal,” Glover said, pointing to news articles quoting Republican Sen. Pat Toomey, who has repeatedly argued the sequester would be good for the country.
While the bureau of prisons braces for furloughs, the National Guard may be able to absorb the sequester cuts without laying off civilian staff.
Speaking to the Pennsylvania Senate appropriations committee Monday, Gen. Wesley Craig said the defense department determines how much money is allocated to the National Guard. But, Craig said he has the authority to make personnel decisions. The defense department has indicated the federal government expects the military to absorb 13 percent spending cuts by furloughing 800,000 civilian employees one day a week beginning in April and continuing through the next 22 weeks. Nationally, these would translate into a $5 billion savings.
For the Pennsylvania National Guard, the move would affect 1,778 civilian employees. But Craig said he believes the National Guard can achieve the savings required under sequestration by making other adjustments.
“I have no intention of furloughing unless I have to,” Craig told the Senate committee. “I can pay the 13 percent.”
After the hearing, Craig said the National Guard can absorb the reduction because of a hiring freeze that has the Guard working with about 50 employees fewer than it is approved to have.
Elaine • The impact of changes to working conditions such as lower staff-inmate ratios, changes to pay structure etc. can have a huge impact in terms of staff well-being, health and morale. I’m doing some research on the well-being of prison and correctional officers at the moment and wonder what the effects of these types of changes will be?
Bradley • Elaine, your research is very relevant especially in light of Sequester.
By Nanaymie • Unfortunately we are unwilling to see inmates as worthy of civil protections. As a result the safeguards for humane treatment will be thrown out as soon as litigants enter these facilities dwindling even further as funding resources become scarce.
By Brad • I agree completely with your opinion–Nanaymie
By Elaine–Bradley, thanks for bringing these articles to our attention. The research I have been reading suggests that the physical and psychological demands on prison and correctional officers are quite significant in comparison to other ‘people’ professions. These types of changes will undoubtedly have an impact. Our research is looking at the experience of physical symptoms (possibly associated with stress or injury), low mood and anxiety in prison officers. We are also interested in how people cope with these (helpful thinking strategies, social support etc.). The study is still open and can be found at the following link if any… Read more »
By Catherine–thanks for the update. hope this doesn’t happen.
By Terri–But prison staff and inmates are at risk, here. But it’s the inmates who, of course, are the most vulnerable. I suspect Congressmen, at home with their feet up, aren’t giving this consequence much thought.
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