CHARLESTON, W.Va. (AP) - The State Personnel Board has voted to raise the pay of West Virginia corrections officers starting in September by $1 an hour.
The proposal advanced by Military Affairs and Public Safety Secretary Jeff Sandy means another $2,080 annually for the guards.
It applies and will apply to all seven classifications of officers and new hires, whose annual salary will be $24,664.
Sandy says many officers spoke to him personally about it, and Gov. Jim Justice supported the increase.
It will coincide with a policy change across the Regional Jail Authority, Division of Juvenile Services and Division of Corrections to let officers begin earning overtime after 40 hours a week.
Of the 2,640 full-time positions, nearly one in four was vacant as of July 1.
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