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State Correctional Officers' Furloughs Illegal, Judge Rules
California prison guards forced to take unpaid leave days came out victorious today as an Alameda Superior Court judge ruled the furloughs illegal, SacBee reports. In their March court filing, the California Correctional Peace Officers Association maintained that it would be impossible for "every employee to utilize the 34 deferred furlough days each will accrue during the time allotted" as prisons are already understaffed, says SacBee. Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger had hoped to save roughly $1.7 billion as a result of furloughs throughout state departments and other measures, but a report ordered by Senate President Pro Tem Darrell Steinberg found the state will actually be saving a lot less because prison workers' deferred paychecks will be paid with IOUs, costing taxpayers even more in the long run.
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