Correctional Officers Get a Raise, Dept. of Corrections Director Says It Boosted Morale

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COLUMBIA, S.C. (WOLO)– Henry McMaster’s cabinet members gave their reports to him and Department of Corrections Director Bryan Sterling was among them. Sterling has had a rocky year with many violent incidents in his prisons, including the Lee Correctional riot which killed seven inmates in April. Stirling says things have improved dramatically since Henry McMaster approved an increase in funds for their officers in his newest budget. Sterling said that gives them the extra help they need to pay officers competitively, and upgrade security.

After the April riot, Stirling said that they are terribly understaffed and the pay was not enough to obtain or retain officers. Now, Sterling says the new budget allocates an additional thousand dollars for officers.   

“If you want morale to get better, we need more officers,” Stirling said.

Sterling said that thousand dollar boost allows them to be more competitive with pay. Now with bonuses and new overtime pay– the DOC is duling out about 30% more to their employees.

“We’ve paid almost, in the past several years, almost 50 million dollars in additional money to our officers,” Stirling said.

McMaster asked about the cell phone issue, and Stirling replied they have made great headway with the cell-phone industry. The FCC is paying for system testing at Lee Correctional Institute which would not block calls, but filter them– making sure no communication is happening through a cell phone.   

“We do have a system where they can call their family members, they can email their family members, I just want to know what they’re doing and saying.”

Stirling said inmates with cell phones can be like terrorists– they can conduct counterintelligence on officials, intimidate employees and witnesses, arrange contraband transactions and move money around. He says adding netting has helped limit contraband, but inmates have people using T-shirt guns like the kind you see in ariana’s to launch contraband over, and even drones.  

“As technology improves their going to try to get the contraband in and we’re going to have to move when they move,” Stirling said. Stirling said they are doubling their police force to crack down on smuggled contraband. All those employees will see those bonuses hitting their paychecks starting this week.