Better Pay for Prison Guards Leads to Less Turnover in South Dakota

South Dakota corrections officials said Wednesday that better pay for prison guards is helping to reduce turnover at its adult lock-up facilities.

 

The annual turnover rate for corrections officers at the South Dakota State Penitentiary in Sioux Falls peaked at about 35 percent in 2013. Since then, the department has increased starting pay each year.

 

Starting July 1, new officers will earn $15.50 an hour, up from $13.56 in fiscal year 2013. That puts the system in the middle of the pack, regionally. The state's starting pay for correctional officers will exceed what's offered in Montana and Nebraska but trail Iowa, Minnesota and North Dakota.