A State Appeals Court has upheld a decision against the Missouri Department of Corrections, on Tuesday, in a suit alleging not enough over-time was paid to prison guards.
The suit alleges guards weren’t properly compensated for their pre- and post-shift duties, which include making their way through security, and briefing the next shift. The court documents say these amounted to about half an hour each day, all off the clock, for thirteen-thousand guards.
The Department of Corrections is appealing the decision once again, and the state will be forced to pay interest on the debt while the case is ongoing. The estimated cost to Missouri taxpayers will be 125-million dollars if the case is settled this year.
