At its July 26 meeting, Lehigh County Board of Commissioners approved additional extensions to the temporary wage increase for certain employees with the Department of Corrections, Cedarbrook Senior Care and Rehabilitation, as well as within the 911 Communication Center.

Before the votes, the board heard directly from correctional officers about realities and needs they believe should be addressed before the situation worsens.

In a June 28 letter to Lehigh County Executive Phillips M. Armstrong, Director of Corrections Janine Donate asked the county “to continue the temporary compensation of $120, to be granted for 40 hours worked in a week, applicable to all bargaining unit staff and uniformed supervisors.”

This is a decrease from the $200, which was offered in 2022, under similar conditions.

Jim Irwin, union president representing correctional officers, took to the microphone for citizens’ input, addressing commissioners.

“Correctional officers are right now the lowest number of correctional officers that we’ve had. We have 135 current officers, but at the end of the month, we will probably be down to 130. Just this month, we’ve had nine leave,” Irwin said.

Irwin explained the lack of sufficient correctional officers has led to both mandatory and volunteered overtime. “This weekend, Friday to Sunday, we had 48 mandatory overtimes. That’s not including the people who volunteered for overtime. That’s 48 people, Friday to Sunday, that were forced to stay there. Right now, they are being mandated, each and every one of them, almost twice a week,” he said.

Irwin concluded by making the point these were the lowest numbers since the pandemic and hoped this issue would continue to be examined by the board and Donate.

Irwin’s views were backed by a correctional officer attending virtually, identified solely as Chad, who said, “It’s crazy how, like Jim said, we are closing different units, cutting staff here. We’re cutting positions here; we’re cutting positions there. It’s a safety issue for inmates, for staff, and we can turn around and say this compensation isn’t working, so let’s cut. That’s not the answer.”

The temporary wage increase covers the period of July 16-Oct. 13.