The last two years have been tough for correctional officers in Kansas. They’ve had to deal with forced overtime, low-staffing, and increased violence in our state’s facilities. The state is having a hard time recruiting and retaining officers due to low pay and the job's difficulty.

In her state budget, Governor Laura Kelly proposes moving correctional officers from the Kansas Public Employees Retirement System to the Kansas Police & Firemen’s Retirement System (KP&F). This change will benefit correctional officers tremendously and help stem the tide of recruitment and retention issues in our state’s correctional facilities.

KP&F provides an enhanced benefit for first responders, incentivizing those employees to stay in public service. Due to the difficulty and rigors of the job, correctional officers, police officers, and firefighters cannot stay on-the-job as long as other public employees. This change is necessary, and several of our coalition partners have fought for it for years.