Overtime pay for prison nurses costs millions of tax dollars

CLEVELAND – Thousands of hours of overtime worked by Ohio prison nurses in recent years have cost taxpayers millions of dollars.

The Plain Dealer reports overtime for registered nurses in the prison system has increased by nearly 60 per cent since 2012. Payroll records show some prison hospital nurses have earned over $100,000 in overtime in one year.

The state presently has about 480 registered nurses working in prisons and about 50 job vacancies. Ohio has relied on volunteer overtime to fill the staffing gaps.

Union leaders say they’ve urged administrators to hire more nurses, but retention remains an issue.

An Ohio Department of Rehabilitation and Correction official says hiring more nurses would spread costs out over more people, but Ohio would still have to pay to make sure all shifts are covered.

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Information from: The Plain Dealer, http://www.cleveland.com