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DOC outlines overtime, staffing and tablets plans; cites 541 vacancies and workers' comp pressures
Summary
The Department of Correction told the Appropriations subcommittee that overtime is driven mainly by vacancies and workers' compensation absences and that the agency expects modest savings if proposed operational changes succeed.
The Department of Correction said its largest overtime drivers are position vacancies and workers' compensation absences. The commissioner told the committee there were roughly 541 correctional officer vacancies and that, as of the morning of the hearing, the in‑custody population was about 11,098.
DOC said it is pursuing a multi‑pronged overtime reduction plan: sending staff home after the population is secure, using a central transportation unit for trips to court, using shutdown posts to backfill partial‑shift needs, temporarily reassigning maintenance staff for vendor projects, and reviewing rosters 24 hours in advance. The department projected savings of 2 to 5 percent if measures are implemented; it said high workers' compensation totals (about 68 staff out 30+ days and several hundred on short‑term absence) limit potential gains.
On tablets and messaging, DOC said its tablet contract is held by an external vendor and the contract expires in April 2025; the administration expects to extend for a year while deciding whether to pursue an RFP or a multistate contract. DOC said messaging and tablet services previously used ARPA funds (which expired Jan. 1) and that the program bundle constrains savings: changing messaging rates likely requires replacing the tablet platform. Committee members asked whether the tablet provider remits revenue; DOC said some proceeds (movies, books, programs) are used to fund programming and workforce training and that commissary markups fund commissary staff.
DOC also described reentry coordination: each facility has a reentry counselor who starts discharge planning 120–160 days before release and refers people to community reentry centers; DOC reported roughly 1,189 community beds used at high occupancy.
Why it matters: Staffing and overtime practices determine facility safety and budget pressure. The tablet contract and commissary funding affect programming and vocational opportunities for people nearing release.
