At a rally last week, corrections officers charged that the Legislature has been too money-conscious when it comes to spending at Kansas prisons.

It’s imperative for the safety of workers, inmates and the public that the state be able to hire qualified people for jobs at the Lansing prison.

The competition for police officers, sheriff’s deputies and corrections officers in northeast Kansas is fierce. That’s one reason Leavenworth County Sheriff Herb Nye proposed a change in his officers’ retirement systems. Nye, who’s keenly aware of how competitive the job market is, believes he needs every edge he can find to recruit officers for his department.

State senators and representatives also should realize that low pay at Lansing Correctional Facility creates problems in recruiting and retaining qualified staff. According to a corrections department spokesman, the Lansing prison has about 50 job openings, which means employees must work overtime. In addition, the prison is experiencing a high turnover rate, which means time and money must be spent to train inexperienced workers.

Presently, the starting pay rate at the prison is about $9.80 an hour. The spokesman said the corrections department plans to work for pay increases.

It won’t matter how hard the department works if the Legislature isn’t receptive to higher salaries.b