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Institutions Committee reviews DOC FY26 budget; raises staffing, contract and pretrial expansion questions
Summary
Committee examined the governor’s proposed FY26 Department of Corrections budget, which proposes roughly a $31.6 million (15.8%) increase to about $230 million, and discussed major drivers including collective bargaining, overtime, Wellpath health contract increases, pretrial supervision expansion and out‑of‑state bed costs.
The Institutions Committee spent substantial time on Feb. 18 reviewing the governor’s proposed FY26 Department of Corrections budget, which DOC staff said would raise the department’s total to roughly $230 million — an increase the department attributed primarily to collective bargaining adjustments, overtime pressures and other operating costs.
Kristen, a DOC budget presenter, walked committee members through the proposals and line items, including a $31.6 million, or about 15.8 percent, year‑over‑year increase to the department’s overall budget. She said general fund makes up about 95 percent of DOC’s request and flagged internal service fund charges and the annualization of salary and benefits as upward drivers.
Key budget drivers discussed:
- Overtime and vacancy dynamics: DOC officials told the committee that vacancy savings shown on paper are frequently backfilled with overtime. DOC identified an overtime…
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