Frakes proposes big staff, construction increase for prisons

Corrections Director Scott Frakes is requesting 165 new positions and a $75 million construction program to deal with Nebraska’s troubled prison system.

The proposed new spending is contained in the Department of Correctional Services request for what it wants Gov. Pete Ricketts to propose in his two-year budget in January. Frakes said it includes 164.5 full-time equivalent positions, all but 30 in protective services – corporals and sergeants who deal directly with inmates. "It is a very large request, both in terms of number of staff and in the fiscal impact. By fiscal year ‘19 it adds $8 million to our base budget," he said. (For a press release detailing highlights of the proposal, click here).

Staff turnover among protective service workers was about 33 percent last year, with people leaving amid complaints about low pay, mandatory overtime and assaults by inmates. Beyond the additional staff, Frakes budget request anticipates increased spending of another $9 million for health insurance and salary increases currently under negotiation.

Frakes is also proposing spending $75 million in construction funds over the next four years for a new so-called Reception and Treatment Center for inmates with serious physical and mental health needs. The center would add only 32 beds to a system that is about 2,000 inmates over its design capacity. But Frakes said sentencing reforms passed last year are expected to reduce the prison population by 800, and already-approved construction will add another 148 beds. Besides, he said, it’s important to go beyond simple bed space to address prisoners needs. "It’s not where they sleep. It’s what happens when they leave their rooms. And that’s where the shortfalls are," he declared.

Excluding capital construction, the requests would represent a 7.4 percent increase in two years over the Department’s current $208 million budget, and bring total employees from about 2,350 to 2,500. (For detailed budget numbers, click here). Asked for reaction, Ricketts spokesman Taylor Gage said "The Governor has been working with Director Frakes to prioritize Corrections reform, and this priority will be reflected in the Governor’s biennial budget in January."