Corrections officer says his workers will continue to work without pay amid shutdown

North Dakota corrections officer Tony Rowe on Friday affirmed Friday that he and his officers would continue working despite not receiving pay amid the ongoing partial government shutdown. 

“I think that bureau officers have a lot of intestinal fortitude and, and basically hold to that adage of I am my brother’s keeper,” Rowe, who works at Fort Totten Correctional Facility, told Hill.TV’s Buck Sexton and Jamal Simmons on “Rising.” 

“I think we’ll get through [the shutdown],” he continued. “I’m not going to say whether it’s going to be easy. It’s going to be very difficult, but because we work in small units and small departments, I think we hold on to that ‘well, I’ll take care of it no matter what it is [mentality].'” 

Corrections officers across the country, along with other federal workers, have not received pay amid the shutdown, forcing some officers to find other paid work. 

The scenario creates potentially dangerous working conditions due to the shrinking officer to inmate ratio. 

Other government agencies, including the Transportation Security Administration (TSA), have also impacted due to employee absences.

The percentage of TSA absences increased to 7.6 percent on Monday, which is two times higher than the 3.2 percent rate from the same time last year and 50 percent higher than last week’s rate. 

The White House and congressional Democrats’ disagreement of border security led to the government shutdown, which is now in its fourth week. 

— Julia Manchester