TEXAS DEPARTMENT OF CRIMINAL JUSTICE

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Statement from Executive Director Bryan Collier

The conference committees’ funding decisions for Texas Department of Criminal Justice (TDCJ) for the FY 2020-21 biennium have been approved by the Texas House of Representatives and Texas Senate.

During the last few months, we have worked closely with the State leadership and their staff considering our requests for additional items of policy and operational significance. We are especially grateful for the HB1 Conference Committee’s decisions regarding employee salaries. The committee approved funding to restructure the correctional career ladder and provide salary increases for correctional officers, ranking correctional officers, correctional laundry and food service managers, and parole officers.

Please note that the items described below will not be finalized until these bills have been certified by the Comptroller and approved by the Governor.

Targeted Salary Increases:

• Provides $84.1 million for targeted salary increases for correctional officers, ranking correctional officers, correctional laundry and food service managers, and parole officers, in order to address recruitment and retention of these mission critical positions. (see page 3 for details or page 3 of the accessible text version)

Capital and Infrastructure:

• Provides $24.2 million for the Corrections Information Technology System Project, which will modernize the agency’s current mainframe offender management systems.
• Provides $54.0 million for major repair and renovation projects in FY 2020-21.
• Provides $26.0 million for the installation of comprehensive video surveillance systems on eight maximum-security facilities. Upon completion of these installations, all of TDCJ’s 22 maximum-security facilities will have comprehensive video surveillance systems.

Probation:

• Provides funding levels for felony and misdemeanor probation supervision based on the LBB January 2019 population projections.
• Maintains funding for the probation treatment/diversion programs, community corrections programs and the Treatment Alternatives to Incarceration Program at current levels.
• Provides an additional $4.0 million for pretrial diversion programs for FY 2020-21.

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Texas Correctional Office on Offenders with Medical or Mental Impairments (TCOOMMI):

• Maintains current funding levels for mental health services and continuity of care for offenders.
• Provides an additional $4.8 million for the expansion of mental health services in rural areas during the FY 2020-21 biennium.

Correctional Operations, Treatment Programs & Health Care:

• Maintains staffing and funding for operational areas within the incarceration function (such as correctional officers, unit support, utilities, maintenance, and industry/agriculture operations) at current levels.
• Maintains current operational levels for contract prisons and privately operated state jails, as well as maintaining current funding levels for rehabilitation and reentry programs such as chaplaincy, reentry transitional coordinators, substance abuse treatment programs, and the sex offender treatment program.
• Provides an additional $160.0 million to maintain offender health care, an additional $2.0 million for medical capital equipment, and $452,500 for an occupational therapy program for offenders in the developmental disabilities program.
• Provides an additional $8.4 million to expand sheltered housing beds at the Stiles Unit.
  
• Provides an additional $1.0 million for reentry services pilot programs in Houston and Dallas.
• Provides $5.3 million for an academic and vocational pilot program for state jail felons.
• Provides an additional $2.0 million to expand vocational training programs.

Parole:

• Provides staffing and funding for parole supervision based on the LBB January 2019 population projections.
• Maintains current operational levels for halfway house and intermediate sanction facility beds.

Other Agency Functions:

• Maintains staffing and funding levels for all other administrative and support functions (such as Central Administration, Information Technology, Office of Inspector General, State Counsel for Offenders, and Health Services).
• Provides funding for Information Resources data center services based on the estimates provided by the Department of Information Resources (DIR).

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Texas Department of Criminal Justice
Correctional Officer and Parole Officer Career Ladder Restructure/Pay Raise

Adopted by Conference Committee - $84.1 million

Summary

Correctional:

• Allows for a career ladder restructuring.
• Reduces the time frame for maximum salary to 7 years, with a 3.7% increase to the current maximum salary.

Current salary for a Correctional Officer III with 0 to 14 months employment is $36,238.
Current salary for a Correctional Officer III with 15 to 30 months employment is $38,302.
Adopted salary for a Correctional Officer III with 0 to 12 months employment is $36,238.

Current salary for a Correctional Officer IV with 31 to 42 months employment is $39,411.
Current salary for a Correctional Officer IV with 43 to 54 months employment is $40,546.
Current salary for a Correctional Officer IV with 55 to 90 months employment is $41,769.
Adopted salary for a Correctional Officer IV with 13 to 36 months employment is $39,411.
Adopted salary for a Correctional Officer IV with 37 to 72 months employment is $41,769.

Current salary for a Correctional Officer V with 91 plus months employment is $43,049.
Adopted salary for a Correctional Officer V with 73 plus months employment is $44,642.

Current salary for a Sergeant is $45,201.
Adopted salary for a Sergeant is $46,873.

Current salary for a Lieutenant is $47,462.
Adopted salary for a Lieutenant is $49,218.

Current salary for a Captain is $49,835.
Adopted salary for a Captain is $51,679.

Current salary for a Major is $53,437.
Adopted salary for a Major is $55,414.

Current salary for an Assistant Warden is $64,364.
Adopted salary for an Assistant Warden is $66,748.

Current salary for a Warden I is $77,606.
Adopted salary for a Warden I is $80,477.

Current salary for a Warden II is $88,561.
Adopted salary for a Warden II is $91,838.

Current salary for a Food Service Manager II with 0 to 30 months employment is $38,302.
Current salary for a Food Service Manager II with 31 to 42 months employment is $39,411.
Current salary for a Food Service Manager II with 43 to 54 months employment is $40,546.
Current salary for a Food Service Manager II with 55 to 90 months employment is $41,769.
Adopted salary for a Food Service Manager II with 0 to 12 months employment is $38,302.
Adopted salary for a Food Service Manager II with 13 to 36 months employment is $39,411.
Adopted salary for a Food Service Manager II with 37 to 72 months employment is $41,769.

Current salary for a Food Service Manager III with 91 plus months employment is $43,049.
Adopted salary for a Food Service Manager III with 73 plus months employment is $44,642.

Current salary for a Food Service Manager IV is $49,359.
Adopted salary for a Food Service Manager IV is $51,185.

Current salary for a Laundry Manager II with 0 to 30 months employment is $38,302.
Current salary for a Laundry Manager II with 31 to 42 months employment is $39,411.
Current salary for a Laundry Manager II with 43 to 54 months employment is $40,546.
Current salary for a Laundry Manager II with 55 to 90 months employment is $41,769.
Adopted salary for a Laundry Manager II with 0 to 12 months employment is $38,302.
Adopted salary for a Laundry Manager II with 13 to 36 months employment is $39,411.
Adopted salary for a Laundry Manager II with 37 to 72 months employment is $41,769.

Current salary for a Laundry Manager III with 91 plus months employment is $43,049.
Adopted salary for a Laundry Manager III with 73 plus months employment is $44,642.

Current salary for a Laundry Manager IV is $45,891.
Adopted salary for a Laundry Manager IV is $47,589.

Parole:

• Provides a 5% increase to all parole officer positions.

Current salaries for Parole Officer I-II is $39,718 to $44,661
Adopted salaries for Parole Officer I-II is $41,704 to $46,894

Current salaries for Parole Officer III is $44,661 to $50,371
Adopted salaries for Parole Officer III is $46,894 to $52,890

Current salaries for Parole Officer IV is $50,371 to $56,890
Adopted salaries for Parole Officer IV is $52,890 to $59,735

Current salaries for Parole Officer V is $56,890 to $63,409
Adopted salaries for Parole Officer V is $59,735 to $66,579

Parole officers receive an annual salary increase, during each of the officer's first ten years of satisfactory service, equal to one tenth of the difference between the officer's current annual salary; and the minimum annual salary of a parole officer in the next highest classification.