West Virginia Gov. Justice ends state of emergency over jail staffing after almost two years

West Virginia Governor Jim Justice recently announced that the state of emergency regarding staffing in the state Department of Corrections is now over. Almost two years ago, Governor Justice asked the state National Guard for help to address the high number of workers leaving the state's jails and prisons. Last summer, more than 30% of positions were vacant. The state National Guard, led by General William E. Crane, stepped in to assist by deploying over 730 members to work in 17 correctional facilities. During this time, around 240 individuals completed training at the state's corrections academy. Of these, 38 National Guard members chose to continue working in the jails and prisons permanently. To address the staffing crisis, state lawmakers approved over $21 million for pay raises for correctional officers in a special session last summer. Additionally, two one-time bonuses of $2,294 were granted to non-correctional officer staff, such as kitchen workers. Governor Justice had initially declared a state of emergency for the state's jails and prisons back in 2017. The combined efforts of the National Guard and legislative actions have helped stabilize the staffing situation in these facilities.