A fundamental standard of financial management is to make those cuts that (1) provide the most financial gain and (2) have the least impact on quality of work being performed.
While the Bureau of Prisons will defend these positions as being essential, this argument holds little water in light of the fact for every twenty-four hours of operation, sixteen are completed without any of these executive present. Combine this with weekends and holidays it becomes real clear that the highest ranking official needed to run any institution is Lieutenant.
In such tough economic times, let look at this issue from a financial perspective. There are approximately 118 Federal prisons within the Bureau which includes fourteen complexes. If the agency cut one Warden and three Associate Wardens from each of these complexes, calculated as Step 1, this would be an immediate salary savings of $5,653,270.00. Add in an estimated 30% for benefits and you get $7,349,251.00.
Keeping things on track, we have an estimated 104 stand-alone facilities with two Associate Wardens at each. The Agency saves and additional $13,072,488.00 by eliminating one Associate Warden position at each of these facilities. Without including positions like Super Captain and Camp Administrator, the Agency saves well over $20,421,739.00.
GL-5 Officers are entering the agency at $38,619.00 with an estimated benefit package of 30% for a total of $50,204.70. This savings would result in an additional 406 Correctional Officers on the Bureau payroll.
In support of Director Lappin, we all have to do more with less and this should include Department Heads. Currently, there is an average of seven Assistant Department heads in each stand alone facility. Complexes employ approximately three times this amount or twenty-one positions.
By cutting all Assistant Department Head positions, at 104 stand alone facilities and requiring Department Heads to pick up the slack, we can save the Agency an estimated $9,302,841.00.
Cutting 140 Assistant Department Head at the fourteen Complexes, or an average of ten positions per Complex, the estimated saving would be $12,523,000.00. This would equate to a total saving of $21,825,841.00. Combine this with the previous total and the agency could save a conservative total of $42,247,580.00 or gain 840 entry level Correctional Officers.
The savings continues as we look at Central and Regional offices. The Central Office is divided into twelve divisions. If the agency cut two GS-13 and one GS-14 from each department within Central Office, a savings of $3,372,396.00 would be realized. These numbers are calculated at a step 1 with 30% for benefits and 24% for locality pay.
We currently have six Regions with fourteen departments in each region. By cutting two GS-13 and one GS-14 from each department within each Region, the Agency saves an additional 28,428,540.00. Central and Regional Office could save a combined total of $31,800,936.00.
As outlined herein, the combination of savings would be $74,048,516.00. This equates to 1446 entry level Correctional Officers.
Chris Jaquez
Vocational AutoCAD Instructor
Federal Bureau of Prisons
FCI Florence, Colorado 81212
Work (719)784-9100 Ext 4321
Cell (719)429-0580
Home (719)269-3741
