In January, the Legislature approved and Murphy signed a bill that, among other measures meant to improve recruiting and retention at the department, raised the starting salary for correctional police officers from $40,000 to $48,000, with an 8% increase for all other corrections officers. “I think the 8% raise they gave us helped out with that,” he said. William Sullivan, president of New Jersey Policemen’s Benevolent Association Local 105, which represents correctional police, said staff is “coming around” on vaccines and noted some still believe their requests for exemptions will get approved. On Tuesday, the state reported 3,083 cases. On Friday, the state reported 3,387 new confirmed cases, the first time it announced more than 3,000 cases since Feb. The deadline comes into effect days after New Jersey’s daily COVID-19 case counts hit a three-month high. The executive order allows workers to receive their booster shot after the deadline if they only recently became eligible for it, though they must receive it within three weeks of becoming eligible. He added the department expects a surge in vaccine reporting in advance of the May 11 deadline. More recent data on the number of vaccinated corrections employees is unavailable because officials are still tallying documents submitted by workers, Sperrazza said. ![]() The department has placed two workers who did not comply with the mandate or seek an exemption on unpaid leave, but none have been fired yet, Sperrazza said. “We continue to work with all of our staff to educate them on the benefits and encourage them to receive a vaccination.” “The vaccine mandate has not had any significant impacts to staffing resources or the operations of the department,” Sperrazza said. Though a full accounting of staff vaccinations is still incomplete, the feared exodus has not happened yet. Union officials representing corrections officers - who fought Murphy’s mandate in court and lost - had warned the requirement would lead workers to resign or retire, crippling operations. Statewide, 78% of all residents are fully vaccinated (children under the age of five are not yet eligible for a COVID-19 vaccine). The vaccination rate had been about 51% in early March, when Murphy moved the mandate deadline to May. ![]() Phil Murphy delayed a deadline for workers in congregate settings to receive a COVID-19 vaccine, concerns about a staff exodus at the Department of Corrections have largely abated, with nearly three-quarters of workers vaccinated ahead of the May 11 cutoff.Īs of April 25, 72% of the department’s staff had completed their initial vaccine regiment and received a booster, according to department spokesman Dan Sperrazza.
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