County’s Correctional Center Was Lowest in NJ Paying Overtime to Staff Officers

CREST HAVEN – Sometimes being least is best. When it comes to paying overtime at adult county correctional facilities, Cape May County was tops at the bottom in New Jersey paying 2.7 percent of total compensation to corrections officers for working overtime over three years (2010 to 2012).
That fact was noted by the Office of the State Comptroller in a Feb. 5 document detailing statistics for the state’s 21 correctional facilities. The office “initiated this review after observing numerous media reports detailing high overtime costs in adult county correctional facilities across New Jersey. From fiscal year 2010 through 2012, counties spent approximately $185.7 million statewide on overtime compensation.
“Our objective was to identify the root causes of excessive overtime costs and to recommend ways to reduce these costs. Our review of several adult county correctional facilities found that some facilities regularly incurred high overtime costs, while others consistently kept overtime costs to a minimum. While the causes of overtime costs differed somewhat from county to county, our review found that proper staffing and appropriate administrative and financial oversight can serve to reduce overtime costs.”
Nine of 21 facilities were under the jurisdiction of the county departments of corrections, nine were under the jurisdiction of the county sheriffs’ offices and three were under the jurisdiction of the county departments of public safety.
At the state level, the Office of County Services in the New Jersey Department of Corrections (DOC) conducts physical inspections and programmatic evaluations of county correctional facilities.
The office selected a geographically diverse sample of counties for further review. This included counties that paid a higher than average percentage of their overall compensation for corrections and superior officers in overtime (Salem, Mercer and Union) and counties that paid a smaller than average percentage of their compensation for corrections and superior officers in overtime (Bergen, Warren and Cape May). It interviewed correctional facility officials from all six selected counties, as well as county officials in Mercer, Salem and Union counties.
Statewide Findings
Statewide, from 2010 to 2012, New Jersey’s adult county corrections officers were paid approximately $185.7 million for working 3.9 million hours of overtime.
Based on the data we reviewed, the office determined that New Jersey’s adult county correctional facilities spent more than 14 percent of their aggregate payroll and nearly 10 percent of their aggregate expenditures on overtime for corrections officers.
However, it found spending on overtime for corrections officers varied greatly among the different county correctional facilities. It identified facilities that appeared to control overtime costs and facilities whose costs were roughly double the statewide average. For example, overtime costs represented less than 4 percent of the total expenditures at some facilities, while it represented more than 25 percent of the total at others.
Facilities in Cumberland, Salem and Middlesex counties had the highest percentage of overtime costs relative to overall officers’ compensation.
Facilities in Cape May (2.7 percent), Warren (3.3 percent) and Bergen (4.4 percent) counties had the lowest percentages.
Cape May County Correctional Center
Cape May County Correctional Center has the capacity to house approximately 181 inmates and is overseen by the Cape May County Sheriff’s Office. A new correctional center is on the drawing board, as the current facility routinely houses in excess of 200 inmates.
From 2010 to 2012, CMCCC spent approximately $16.1 million in gross compensation for its corrections officers, including more than $430,000 for overtime. During that period, corrections officers averaged more than $58,000 annually in gross compensation, of which more than $1,000 was for overtime.
In Cape May County, the warden said he provides the Sheriff’s office with a monthly report detailing the overtime hours used by each squad, how it compares to the overtime used the previous month and an explanation for any increases or decreases in overtime usage.
High-Ranking Jail Officials
The office found that in certain counties, the warden, captains or other high-ranking jail officials whose duties are primarily administrative or managerial are not eligible to receive overtime. For example, in Bergen and Cape May counties, policy prohibits captains from receiving overtime.
In contrast, according to the Union County Jail director, captains are permitted to work overtime shifts for lower-ranking officers while still receiving pay at the captain rate. Captains are also authorized to receive administrative overtime. In 2011, one captain received $191,000 in total compensation. This included his $130,000 salary and $61,000 in overtime pay. This far exceeded the compensation paid to any other Union County Jail employee, including its director.