Bresnahan aims to ‘make prisons safer’ by raising federal pay for corrections officers

To address the severe staffing shortages inside federal prisons, U.S. Rep. Rob Bresnahan (R-PA) on Jan. 13 introduced bipartisan legislation that would increase pay for federal correctional officers.

“Our correctional officers… have been asked to do more with less for far too long, and it’s not sustainable,” Rep. Bresnahan said. “This legislation provides a long-term fix that will help bring in new officers, keep experienced staff on the job, and cut the reliance on mandatory overtime, making our prisons safer for everyone.”

Rep. Bresnahan cosponsored the Federal Correctional Officer Paycheck Protection Act, H.R. 7033, alongside bill sponsor U.S. Rep. Dan Goldman (D-NY) and 18 other original cosponsors, including U.S. Reps. Don Bacon (R-NE), Brian Fitzpatrick (R-PA), and Juan Ciscomani (R-AZ).

If enacted, H.R. 7033 would establish a nationwide pay rate to deliver a 35-percent base pay increase for federal correctional officers, with ongoing oversight to ensure it reduces staffing shortages and excessive overtime, according to a bill summary provided by Rep. Bresnahan’s staff.

The bill is supported by the AFGE CPL-33 Local 3003 and the AFGE Council of Prison Locals 33.