Governor signs DOC employee pay raise oversight bill

OKLAHOMA CITY – Last year, the legislature approved a $2 per hour pay increase for “behind the wall” personnel at the Department of Corrections (DOC) but hundreds of employees were inadvertently excluded.  To address the oversight, Sen. Adam Pugh, R-Edmond, filed Senate Bill 1424, which was unanimously approved by both chambers and signed into law Tuesday.

The bill provides a $2.00 per hour increase to those 453 employees around the state who did not receive the 2019 DOC raise including staffers at North Fork Correctional Center, Oklahoma City Community Correctional Center, and others. The increase will apply to personnel employed by the Department on the last working day of June 1, 2020. The raise, which will cost an estimated $1.6 million, will be adjusted by the amount of the state employee pay raise received under HB 2771 last session.  

“Last year, a majority of DOC employees received a pay raise and these individuals were inadvertently left out.  This bill will right that oversight and get them the raise they so greatly deserve,” Pugh said.  “Our corrections employees have a tough job.  It takes a large workforce to run, secure and clean our correctional facilities as well as provide medical, counseling and other needed services to the inmates.  We’re grateful for their dedicated service and glad this unfortunate oversight will be fixed soon.”

Rep. Ross Ford, R-Broken Arrow, is the House author of the bill that became law with the governor’s signature.

For more information, contact: Sen. Pugh: (405) 521-5622 or Adam.Pugh@oksenate.gov