AUGUSTA — Legislation sponsored by State Representative Bill Pluecker, I-Warren, to reinstate COVID-19 hazard pay to Department of Corrections Staff was unanimously approved by the Legislature’s Criminal Justice & Public Safety Committee.

LD 1683, “An Act To Compensate Department of Corrections Employees for Hazardous Work” will rightfully provide Department of Corrections staff hazard pay relating from the COVID-19 pandemic that they stopped receiving from the state government in December.

At the beginning of the pandemic, to encourage Corrections staff from leaving their high-risk jobs which became complicated by a deadly virus, Governor Janet Mills issued a hazard pay stipend on top of their regular pay from federal Coronavirus Relief Funds, with an understanding that the pay would continue until the state of emergency ended.

Staff with direct contact with residents of the prison system received an additional $5/hour and non-direct contact received an additional $3/hour. As it became clear that the pandemic was continuing, the Governor declared hazard pay would not continue as part of the State’s response to COVID-19.

Pluecker introduced this legislation after hearing from prison staff in his district who reported on mandated 12-16 hour shifts, additional stress among residents, and an inability to maintain corrections officers. Understanding there would likely be some federal relief money coming to the state, he found it necessary to force the legislature to make a change the executive branch was unwilling to make.

“I am so proud that committee members from both sides of the aisle recognized the valuable work of our Department of Corrections employees,” said Rep. Pluecker. “Our Correctional Officers continued to go to work knowing the risk of harm to themselves and their families. As a state, we needed them to carry on even under the most difficult circumstances, and they stepped up and did the work. We owe them the pay we promised them for doing this work, and I am proud the legislature will uphold that promise and pay our Correctional Officers what they are owed.”

Included in the bill proposal is a clause for all backpay corrections staff have not received to be paid back retroactive to the end of December. The Criminal Justice & Public Safety Committee added in DHHS staff who work at the Riverview Psychiatric Center in Augusta and the Dorothea Dix Psychiatric Center in Bangor.

Maine is set to receive $4.5 billion from the federal American Rescue Plan Act signed into law by President Joe Biden.

Corrections staff that testified in support of the bill cited their concerns that even after wearing personal protective equipment they still had concerns about bringing home the COVID-19 infection to their families.

This bill was co-sponsored by Representative Jeffrey Evangelos, I-Friendship, and Criminal Justice & Public Safety Committee Chairs Senator Susan Deschambault, D-York County, and Representative Charlotte Warren, D-Hallowell.

Pluecker represents Appleton, Hope, Union, and Warren in the legislature. He is serving his second term.