CLICK TO HEAR JACK HALL’S INTERVIEW WITH STATE REP. BOHNAK
State representative Karl Bohnak praised the Michigan Department of Corrections’ recent announcement that it would boost starting hourly pay for new corrections officer recruits in Michigan’s Upper Peninsula from $23.45 to $28.24 – an annual increase of around $10,000.
The pay increase comes after Bohnak and other legislators put immense pressure on the department to increase the pay, benefits, and working conditions in state prisons.
“Getting higher pay for new U.P. corrections officers is a huge win that is definitely worth celebrating, as long as we all acknowledge that is just the first step down a very long road,” said Bohnak, R-Deerton. “We’ve known for years that our prisons, specifically our corrections officers, face horrific situations every day. With rising costs, those COs have been asked to do the same job for less pay and fewer quality benefits.
“This action from the department, however positive, doesn’t raise pay for the COs already on the job. The state has been behind the eight ball the entire time. So, while it’s good to see them implement increases to starting pay, state officials still have a long way to go to make up for their failure to meaningfully address the situation.”
Last year, Bohnak worked across party lines to ensure $32.1 million was included in the state budget agreement, specifically to support CO pay increases similar to what’s being rolled out in the U.P.
Bohnak has been a vocal supporter of increasing pay and benefits for corrections officers long before he took office in the state Legislature.
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