Dear Representatives Goldman and Bresnahan,
I am writing on behalf of the members of the Fraternal Order of Police to advise you of our support for H.R. 7033, the “Federal Correctional Officer Paycheck Protection Act.”
The FOP believes that correctional officers are a vital part of our law enforcement profession whose service ensures the operation and safety of prisons around the country. Every day, Bureau of Prisons (BOP) correctional officers work in close proximity to dangerous and violent offenders, and as such, we believe that those serving in this role should be adequately compensated. The BOP pay scale has not been meaningfully updated since 1970, and BOP personnel remain among the lowest-paid Federal law enforcement officers. This lack of compensation has led to an increase in early retirements, leaving prisons understaffed and unprepared to deal with the worst of the worst in our country. Without a significant boost in pay, it will be increasingly difficult to recruit new officers and retain existing veteran officers.
Your legislation would establish a 35% increase to the General Schedule base pay for all BOP correctional staff, including GS, GL, and custodial wage-grade employees. This is a fair increase in pay that will properly compensate our BOP members and recognize the difficulty of the work they do. Doing so will increase recruitment and retention of officers, ensure that our prisons are fully staffed, and improve morale amongst the officers. This will make these facilities safe for officers, staff, and inmates.
On behalf of the more than 382,000 members of the Fraternal Order of Police, I thank you both for your leadership on this important issue. If I can provide any additional information about this bill, please do not hesitate to contact me or Executive Director Jim Pasco in our Washington, D.C. office.
Sincerely,
Patrick Yoes
National President