JBC hears proposals to pilot shift‑relief funding for corrections amid staffing and overtime concerns

JBC analysts presented options to address a multi‑year corrections staffing problem tied to high overtime and an unfunded PERA liability. Justin Brackie, JBC staff, said the committee could pilot a shift‑relief appropriation for targeted facilities and offset much of the cost by reducing overtime spending. He outlined a framework in which a $10 million appropriation for shift relief could be paired with a roughly one‑third reduction in overtime estimates, producing a net increase meaningfully below the full cost of the department's original proposal.

Why it matters: Committee members expressed urgency about staff burnout, service continuity and long-term costs to the Corrections Department; analysts said the problem has been building for years and may require a multi-year approach. Rejecting the request now could leave the shortfall to be addressed by supplementals or larger future requests.

What was proposed: Staff recommended several options ranging from partial piloting and targeted appropriations to the original larger FTE-based plan. Representative Taggart argued for a $10 million pilot targeted at facilities where hiring is feasible; other members preferred the smaller revised recommendation for near-term budget balance.

Quotes: "If you appropriate $10,000,000 for the shift relief factor, you could reduce overtime by a little over $3,000,000," Justin Brackie said explaining the offset logic. Representative Taggart urged the committee to pick a number and pilot it in a handful of facilities to test impacts on overtime and staffing.

Next steps: Staff offered to return quickly with facility-level costing and recommended pilot targets; the committee discussed but did not finalize a specific pilot appropriation at the March 23 meeting.