Prison guards hit double by shutdown

By: usatoday.com

The government shutdown over an unpaid border wall is now the longest in U.S. history (hitting 24 days today), and it’s punishing those tasked not just with guarding our borders, but with patrolling our prisons.

Nearly 40,000 federal prison guards, considered essential employees, have been forced to face the dangers that come with their profession without pay since the start of the shutdown. And that lack of funding is prompting some guards to call in sick — taking the time they would normally use to patrol the prison yard to work elsewhere. Remaining guards are pulling double duty (up to 16 hours a day) in what was already an understaffed profession.