Recently introduced legislation in both the House and Senate would give some federal employees a 35% base pay raise if it were to become law.
The Federal Correctional Officer Paycheck Protection Act was introduced in the House of Representatives (H.R. 7033) by Congressman Daniel Goldman (D-NY) and the Senate (S. 3626) by Senator Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH).
The bill would provide a 35% base pay increase in the General Schedule (GS) pay scale for federal correctional officers. The lawmakers behind the bill say that it would “bring pay for federal correctional officers in line with other federal law enforcement agencies.”
The enhanced rate of pay would apply to federal correctional officers with custodial responsibilities, including General Schedule positions, General Law (GL) law enforcement officers, and eligible prevailing-rate employees.
According to the most recent data from the Office of Personnel Management (OPM), there are approximately 14,900 federal employees working in correctional officer positions within the Bureau of Prisons.
The text of the Senate version of the legislation as currently written states:
The special base rate for a Federal correctional officer shall be calculated by increasing the applicable General Schedule base rate or LEO special base rate for the Federal correctional officer by 35 percent and rounding the result to the nearest whole dollar, provided that such special base rate does not exceed the rate of basic pay payable for level V of the Executive Schedule.
Additionally, the intent behind the bill is to increase recruitment and retention of correctional officers, something the lawmakers say is needed to address “chromic and severe staffing shortages inside federal prisons.”
The legislation also includes a sunset provision that requires the Inspector General (IG) of the Department of Justice (DOJ) to conduct a review that determines if the Bureau of Prisons has demonstrated measurable progress in eliminating augmentation and reducing excessive mandatory overtime for federal correctional officers. If progress has been made, the special salary rate remains in place. A report on the review will be submitted to Congress.
Augmentation is a practice used within the Bureau of Prisons to maintain necessary staffing levels. According to DOJ report:
The BOP uses a practice commonly called “augmentation” to maintain appropriate staffing in critical correctional posts at federal correctional facilities. This practice utilizes employees who are not employed as correctional officers (i.e., unit team, education, facilities, etc.) to work in a position typically filled by a correctional officer. The purpose of augmentation is to fill critical correctional posts, which if left empty, could compromise facility operations, safety, and security (i.e., a housing unit requiring staff supervision). When augmented, an employee is temporarily reassigned to the mission critical correctional post for a specific shift, or for a number of hours. Because all employees employed at a federal correctional facility are primary law enforcement officers, this practice is permitted. Every primary law enforcement officer employed at a federal correctional facility is trained and qualified to work correctional posts.
Shaheen cited a 2024 report issued by the Department of Justice IG as part of the basis for introducing the legislation which found that staffing shortages are a problem at the Bureau of Prisons. The report stated:
Among the many challenges facing the BOP is its persistent inability to address staffing shortages in key positions, lack of sufficient funding to repair its crumbling infrastructure, and the introduction of contraband at its prisons. These staffing, infrastructure, and contraband issues have seriously compromised the safety and security of staff and inmates. The BOP has undertaken BOP-wide efforts to determine the staffing needs of its facilities, how its salary structure impacts its ability to recruit and retain employees, and the amount of funding it needs to repair and maintain its facilities.
In a post on X, Shaheen wrote, “Persistent and often dangerous staffing shortages at federal prisons nationwide cause safety concerns for BOP personnel and incarcerated individuals alike. My new, bipartisan bill will help ensure staff within our federal prisons are paid adequately for the critical work they do.”
“The Federal Correctional Officer Paycheck Protection Act of 2025 is about fairness, safety, and retention, ensuring the Bureau of Prisons can recruit and retain qualified officers while restoring morale and enhancing public safety. I’m proud to support this bill and stand with the officers who keep our communities safe,” said Senator Dave McCormick (R-PA), a cosponsor of the legislation.
“This legislation provides a long-term fix that will help bring in new officers, keep experienced staff on the job, and cut the reliance on mandatory overtime, making our prisons safer for everyone,” said Congressman Rob Bresnahan, Jr. (R-PA), one of the House bill’s cosponsors.
As of the time of this writing, the House bill has 22 cosponsors and the Senate version has 1.
