2005 West Virginia Code - §31-20-27. — Correctional officers; regional jails; priority of hiring.

§31-20-27. Correctional officers; regional jails; priority of hiring.

(a) Notwithstanding any provision of this code to the contrary, the authority, when employing correctional officers to complete the approved staffing plan of a regional jail completed after the effective date of this section, shall employ any correctional officer applying for a position as a correctional officer at a regional jail who was employed in good standing at a county jail facility in the region at the time of its closing or at a prison facility operated by the division of corrections: Provided, That the regional jail is located within the same region as the prison facility that was closed due to relocation of the prison facility to a site outside the region. Only those correctional officers, who are employees in good standing at the time the prison facility is closed, are eligible for transfer under the provisions of this subsection. Correctional officers, employed under the provisions of this subsection, shall be employed at a salary and with benefits consistent with the approved plan of compensation of the division of personnel, created under section five, article six, chapter twenty-nine of this code. All correctional officers employed under this subsection shall also be covered by the policies and procedures of the education and state employees grievance board, created under section five, article six-a, chapter twenty-nine of this code and the classified-exempt service protection policies of the division of personnel.
(b) The authority shall, when employing correctional officers to fill positions within the approved staffing plan of any regional jail, employ any correctional officer applying for a position as a correctional officer at a regional jail who was previously employed as a correctional officer in good standing at any local jail facility: Provided, That the local jail facility is located within the same region as the regional jail at the time of the local jail facility's closing or reduction in size and was reduced in size or closed prior to or due to the completion of the regional jail within the region. Correctional officers, employed under the provisions of this subsection, shall be employed at a salary and with benefits consistent with the approved plan of compensation of the division of personnel, created under section five, article six, chapter twenty-nine of this code. Only those county correctional officers who are employees in good standing at the time the local jail facility is closed are eligible for transfer under the provisions of this subsection. All correctional officers employed under this subsection shall also be covered by the policies and procedures of the education and state employees grievance board created under section five, article six-a, chapter twenty-nine of this code and the classified-exempt service protection of the division of personnel.