Lee gives correctional officers 37 percent pay raise as Tennessee tries to fill jobs at prisons

Like most states, Tennessee is facing a shortage of correctional officers for its state prison system.

Governor Bill Lee had adjusted funding for the Department of Corrections to boost employee pay by 37 percent effective this week increasing the annual paycheck to $44,500 for officers.

Lee also bumped the pay rate for minimum security officers by 15 percent. The agency recently posted a $5,000 hiring bonus for new recruits.

(IMAGE: BBC NEWS ARCHIVES)