I'm urging you to Co-sponsor the following legislation being introduced by Congressman Weber from the state of Texas.

The Pay Our Correctional Officers Fairly Act would revise locality pay rates for employees of the Bureau of Prisons (BOP) located outside of an established General Schedule locality pay area in order to ensure competitive and fair pay.

Federal prisons located outside of established General Schedule locality pay areas fall in "Rest of U.S." (RUS) locality pay. These facilities are experiencing high levels of staff turnover and retirement, low morale, and increased mandatory overtime. Several of the BOP facilities classified as RUS are located within 200 miles of the nearest locality pay, meaning that these facilities are near enough to areas with higher cost of living, yet are unable to provide their workforce with wages that take into consideration cost of living and competitive pay opportunities located in comparable professional fields.

This results in understaffed prisons, overworked employees, creating a dangerous work environment for staff. Additionally, inmates are negatively impacted because there are not enough staff to supervise them, forcing prisons to scale back activities such as visitations, recreational time, and academic enrichment opportunities.

The Pay Our Correctional Officers Fairly Act would address the staffing and retention problems facing BOP facilities by allowing for competitive pay that considers factors such as cost of living, commute times, and the hard work and dedication of our correctional officers. Specifically, BOP facilities located within 200 miles of the nearest General Schedule locality pay area would be eligible to pay their staff higher, more competitive wages. Our correctional officers work to keep our communities safe and the value they add to civil society must be adequately reciprocated.