Federal corrections officers say pay scale contributes to staffing shortage at FCI-Beckley

BECKLEY, WV (WVNS) — Union representatives of Local #404-FCI-Beckley have reported that the medium-security men’s federal prison is understaffed.

Charlie Turner, president of the union, and executive vice-president Brad McDaniel both said pay for federal corrections officers has not kept pace with pay increases for local and state agencies.

As a result, they said, federal corrections officers sometimes work three straight shifts because of understaffing, which creates a danger for themselves and others at the facility.

“We just can’t perform the way we need to be performing with the numbers we have, and the way our guys, our guys and girls, are being overworked, and it’s just not a safe environment,” Turner said on Wednesday, August 8, 2024. “It’s just not.”

FCI-Beckley is in Beaver in Raleigh County, where the average entry-level pay for an officer is around $52,500, based on data from Beckley Police Department, Raleigh County Sheriff’s Office and West Virginia State Police.

The average entry-level pay of a federal corrections officer in West Virginia is $48,034, based on statistics at the job sites indeed.com and ziprecruiter.com.

A family group comprised of mothers, wives and others who have loved ones incarcerated at FCI-Beckley reached out to 59News in late July to report they had serious concerns about the safety of those incarcerated at the prison.

They said that understaffing at the prison was one factor in their concerns.

A spokesperson for the Federal Bureau of Prisons provided data in late July to 59News which showed FCI-Beckley staffing is at 90 percent across the facility, with corrections jobs filled at 86 percent, a report Local 404-FCI-Beckley union leaders said is inaccurate.

“According to the most recent numbers we’ve received from the agency itself, that’s not accurate at all,” McDaniel said. “It’s more like 78.6 percent staffed.”

They said they have contacted U.S. Senator Joe Manchin (D-WV) and U.S. Sen. Shelly Moore-Capito (R-WV) to urge the senators to create higher pay for corrections officers, in an effort to address the staffing shortage.

Turner said federal corrections officers at FCI-Beckley are local people, and he urged those in the community to contact their national representatives to request competitive pay for federal corrections officers.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WVNS.