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| Union says state needs to hire 1,000 additional prison officers |
| By Bloomington Pantagraph |
| Published: 11/10/2003 |
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Illinois' largest employee union is calling on state lawmakers to restore $10.6 million to the state budget in order to hire an estimated 1,000 additional prison officers. In what is expected to be the first of many announcements by interest groups seeking additional state funds this fall, the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees Council 31 says it has data showing that the state's prisons are becoming more dangerous for workers. A study supporting that contention was expected to be released by the union last week. To combat the safety issue, AFSCME and state Sen. Barack Obama, D-Chicago, want lawmakers to restore the money so additional correctional officers can be trained and put in place in state prisons by April. The money would pay salaries for the final quarter of the current fiscal year, which ends in June. Last summer, Gov. Rod Blagojevich stripped $17.3 million from the Illinois Department of Corrections budget that would have funded more than 200 prison captains. The captains were eliminated as part of a plan to streamline the agency's management structure. At that time, the administration said the cuts were made so that the state could spend more money on front-line security positions. Blagojevich spokeswoman Angie Amores said the governor has added front-line staff positions at prisons and will continue to make adding guards a priority. By the end of the fiscal year, the current budget calls for adding about 500 new guards. Amores did not directly address AFSCME's proposal. Lawmakers can take up the issue of restoring money to the budget beginning today when they convene for the first of six days of the fall veto session. |
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