It's about dang time.

There are a lot of jobs that people strive to have their entire lives. Think back to those kindergarten days when we did the "what do you want to be when you grow up" game. I'm guessing there were a lot of answers like a doctor, a teacher, a vet, a police officer, etc. What I am most sure of, there was most likely not a lot of "I want to be a correctional officer".

Montana Governor Gianforte just signed a house bill that may put the correctional officer profession on the list of "must apply for".

For years, correctional officers were making an embarrassing hourly wage of less than $17 dollars per hour. How can we expect to have a full staff when the people in charge of guarding murderers, rapists, and some of our most dangerous criminals, have an hourly wage of less than most fast-food workers? We can't.

Canva
Canva
loading...

House Bill 3, will give correctional officers an extra $2 per hour raise at Montana State Prison and a $3 raise for officers at the Montana Women’s Prison and Pine Hills Correctional facility.

Canva
Canva
loading...

By 2024, this will increase hourly wages from $16.46 per hour to $24.01 per hour. Is this pay increase enough? In my opinion, no; but this is a stepping stone for those employed by the correctional facilities. 

Canva
Canva
loading...

Governor Gianforte also made a promise to set aside $200 million dollars in funding for much-needed upgrades to our prison systems. This will help ensure the safety of our correctional workers that put their lives in the hands of violent criminals each and every day.

cc: KBZK

4 Famous Montana Homicides We Won't Forget

True Crime is "hot" right now. With different articles, podcasts, and weekly Dateline episodes, people seem to be quite intrigued with it.

Top 6 Most Used Drugs In Montana

Drug use is on the rise throughout the United States and we see it more and more here in Montana.

You would think Marijuana would be number one, but considering it is now legal, the arrests are far fewer than they have been in the past years.

Here are the Top 6 Most Used Drugs In Montana.

More From Montana Talks