Maryland’s Department of Public Safety and Correctional Services (DPSCS) paid $203.3 million in employee overtime during fiscal year 2025, according to a recent state audit. However, the audit revealed that many employees frequently exceeded the department’s policy limit of 80 overtime hours per pay period, and required preapproval for overtime was often lacking.

The audit identified 6,631 instances in fiscal 2025 where 1,203 DPSCS employees worked more than 80 hours of overtime in a single pay period. Among them, 121 employees exceeded 100 overtime hours, and five employees worked more than 140 overtime hours in one pay period. The audit examined data spanning from January 2022 through March 2023 and focused on five regional fiscal offices overseeing 18 correctional and pretrial facilities, as well as the Division of Parole and Probation.

The findings highlighted ongoing issues with overtime management that date back to previous audits, including one conducted in 2019. DPSCS had committed to implementing recommendations from earlier reviews by August 2023 but reported difficulty enforcing policies due to staffing shortages among correctional officers. The department cited challenges such as the need to maintain 24-hour facility coverage, special assignments like hospital visits, and overtime earned on days when employees used leave other than sick leave under the existing union contract.

Audit findings showed that four correctional facilities, which accounted for $50.1 million in overtime payments, did not document required preapproval for overtime work. In other facilities, auditors tested 718 hours of overtime by nine employees and found 397 hours lacking documented approval, equating to about $21,000 in payments. DPSCS also identified an instance where 12 hours of overtime worth $560 had been incorrectly recorded and subsequently recovered.

The audit concluded that DPSCS’ existing review processes failed to effectively prevent employees from exceeding the 80-hour overtime limit. Auditors recommended that the department enforce preapproval requirements more strictly, or else prohibit unauthorized overtime, and implement controls to ensure employees do not surpass the overtime threshold. These recommendations were reiterated from the earlier audit.

In response, DPSCS Secretary Carolyn J. Scruggs acknowledged the audit’s findings and said the department would conduct periodic follow-up reviews through its Office of the Inspector General. The department agreed to the recommendations and set a target completion date of November 30, 2026, to enhance corrective actions and compliance audits.

DPSCS also noted it is negotiating a new union agreement which may revise overtime policies, potentially allowing limited exceptions to the preapproval and overtime limits if properly documented and authorized.

Separately, the audit contained a cybersecurity-related finding that was redacted from the public report under state law. DPSCS agreed with the recommendation related to this issue, though details were not disclosed. The Office of Legislative Audits indicated it will seek further clarifications if necessary to ensure DPSCS addresses all findings adequately.