California prison guards on track for $1 billion in perks and raises

Lt. Eric Moore looks inside a cell at Salinas Valley State Prison in 2010. “Our recruitment efforts are extensive and ongoing, with retention bonuses being part of our overall efforts.” But a report published Tuesday by the California Legislative Analyst’s Office raised concerns about some portions of the proposed agreement, and said data do not clearly support the claim that the state has had any serious problems attracting staff. Aside from offering $10,000 bonuses to staff at three units — Salinas Valley State Prison in Monterey County, California State Prison in Sacramento and R.J. Donovan Correctional Facility in San Diego — the tentative contract would also include $5,000 payments for new workers who relocate or commute more than 50 miles to work at any of 13 targeted facilities. But Tuesday’s assessment from the Legislative Analyst’s Office, the state’s nonpartisan fiscal advisor, pushed back on that finding, saying the analysis was based on “flawed methodology.” The analysis found that the pay study didn’t take into account overtime earnings that made up roughly 24% of prison workers’ gross regular pay last year. Additionally, the report said, the creation of an employer-funded 401 plan would reflect a major policy shift, expanding the retirement benefits beyond what is already “among the most generous pensions” for state employees.