Some hope fixing the state's probation and parole system will mean officers at the Division of Community Corrections can get a bigger paycheck.

"I think you've got problems because of starting pay," George Keiser told a state committee Tuesday. "Community corrections officers cannot climb to the top of your pay grades."

Keiser is the director of the Division of Community Corrections at the National Institute of Corrections. On Tuesday, he presented a report to the Joint Legislative Correction, Crime Control and Juvenile Justice Oversight Committee. Legislators heard how the system needs an overhaul in both pay and communication.

"One of the challenges in a state like North Carolina, where the probation department is a state government agency, and much of your work is a local community issue ... is that working relationship between those staff who draw a state paycheck and their counterparts who draw city or county paychecks," Keiser said.

Robert Guy, Director of the Division of Community Corrections, said his agency has always had to compete with federal salaries, but now can't even match local paychecks either.

"We're $5,000 to $6,000 between the starting salary of Durham PD and Raleigh PD right now," Guy said. "Our folks are required to have college degrees and we still can't compete."

Some legislators say they understand the need for recruiting and retaining officers, but it's a tough time for state agencies.

"We have to really look and see what it's going to cost," District 4 Senator Edward Jones said. "We're in a budget crunch right now. We're not sure how much the federal government will be able to help us on a lot of things."

The cry for a report on the problems in Community Corrections came after the cases of two murdered college students. Police arrested two men who were on probation. Many called for an overhaul. Now, using reserve funds, the Division of Community Corrections believes it could ease some of the problems through reserve funds.

Two million in recurring funds could mean:

• 20 intermediate positions to "reduce high caseloads impacting effective case management strategies"
• Six new line supervisor positions to "reduce the span of control ratio of line supervisor/line officer in order to improve quality assurance that cases are being managed consistent with policy and agency expectations."
• Establish a mentoring program to formalize "incentives to assist supervisors in training new line officers."
  

Other non-recurring funds could help improve communications, training and workload/staffing analysis.