Why Did the Department of Corrections Pay a Chef $166,762 last year?

Pioneer Institute’s MassOpenBooks transparency tool shows an employee listed in the Department of Corrections payroll as a “corrections officer/chef” with an income of $166,762 in 2017. His regular pay was $95,051, with $66,991 in overtime and $4,719 paid as “other”.

His regular pay seems to have only been increased to adjust for inflation. His overtime, however, has been increasing exponentially and shifted from 4 percent of his pay in 2004 to 40 percent in 2017.

 

Whether he’s a chef or a corrections officer, being paid this much in overtime is remarkable. Citizens need to demand more transparency in the disbursement of state funds so we have more than just numbers anytime sums run this high. For example: how well can he cook a steak?

 

 

Kaila Webb is the Wellesley College Freedom Project’s intern for the Pioneer Institute. She is currently majoring in Environmental Studies and Chinese Language & Culture.