CONTACT:  Damon Gardenhire, Press Secretary to Speaker Hiett 405/962-7679    Rep. John Trebilcock (R-Broken Arrow) 918/407-7745  Rep. Gus Blackwell (R-Goodwell) 405/557-7384   House Leaders Announce Prison Guards Recruitment Plan: $1,000 Signing Bonuses Could Be Implemented Now  OKLAHOMA CITY (July 26, 2005) – Speaker Todd Hiett and House Republican leaders today announced a solution to boost recruitment of prison guards in Oklahoma using existing funds. The plan could be implemented immediately without a costly legislative special session. The plan would fill nearly 200 current guard vacancies by using $1,000 signing bonuses to recruit candidates. The Department of Corrections currently has about 200 vacant guard positions across the state. Filling those vacancies would reduce the state’s prisoner-to-guard ratio to private prison levels.  “This is a solid solution that will take care of immediate needs for more guards in the Department of Corrections, without rushing into a special session,” said Hiett, R-Kellyville. “Our solution addresses a recruitment problem for prisons in our state that should be tackled before spending more money.”  The House Republican solution recommends that DOC officials take advantage of an existing state sign-on incentive program that allows state agencies to provide bonuses of up to $5,000 for each qualified job candidate. Because the Department of Corrections has nearly 200 fully-funded vacant guard positions now, the department will use funds that have accrued while positions have remained vacant.  “Recruitment seems to be at the heart of prison staffing issues right now,” said Rep. Gus Blackwell, R- Goodwell, chair of the House Corrections and Criminal Justice Committee. “This is a tool that can help recruit guards without delay. Corrections officials should be able to use these bonuses to attract qualified candidates.”  Blackwell noted that Corrections Corporation of America, which operates private prisons in Oklahoma, has lower guard vacancy rates than DOC – yet CCA pays guards a lower salary.  Blackwell said DOC officials can use the bonus program to meet the areas of greatest need, recruiting for facilities with the largest vacancy rates. Using signing bonuses to hire nearly 200 additional guards would reduce the current guard-to-prisoner ratio in state prisons to 1 guard for about 8 prisoners, the same level that private prisons currently maintain in Oklahoma.  Blackwell and Rep. John Trebilcock, chair of the House Appropriations and Budget Subcommittee on Public Safety and Judiciary, also said that within the next several weeks they’ll present a comprehensive plan for the Department of Corrections that can be implemented in the 2006 legislative session. They said the plan would address compensation for all prison guards in Oklahoma, as well other crucial public safety issues.  “We’ve heard and read a lot of irresponsible rhetoric coming from Senate Democrat leaders in recent weeks,” said Trebilcock (R-Broken Arrow). “They’ve tried to instill fear throughout our state by making wild claims. And their fear-mongering has also depressed recruitment efforts statewide.”   Trebilcock pointed out that no correlation can be established between funding levels for prisons and violent incidents or escapes. Trebilcock cited several examples:  	In fiscal years 2000 through 2002, prison funding rose each year. So did escapes.  	From fiscal year 2000 to 2001 funding increased 5 percent – yet escapes jumped 58.4 percent from 53 to 84 per year.  	The fiscal year 2004 budget for prisons was actually $29.9 million less than the amount provided in 2002 (accounting for inflation), yet the number of inmate-on-inmate assaults fell 24.8 percent comparing those two fiscal years.  	The number of inmate-on-staff assaults also declined 24.5 percent between fiscal year 2002 and fiscal year 2004, in spite of a budget cut.  Trebilcock also said that recent reports suggesting violent incidents in Oklahoma prisons are at “an all-time high,” are completely inaccurate. In fact, he noted the number of serious incidents reported by the Department of Corrections remains fairly constant year to year, and appears to be influenced more by a change of seasons than funding levels.  “For decades, Democrats have governed our state through a crisis mentality,” Trebilcock said. “Their answer is always to spend more money. We’re coming forward with businesslike solutions that represent the best management of taxpayers’ money, while also protecting public safety. And we’re offering our solutions in a thoughtful way, without rushing into a special session.”  -30- NOTICE: The information in this email is confidential, legally  privileged, and exempt from disclosure under law. It is intended  solely for the addressee. Access to this email by anyone else is  unauthorized. If you are not the intended recipient, any disclosure,  copying, distribution or any action taken or omitted to be taken in  reliance on it, is prohibited and unlawful.   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