Missouri Corrections Officers Win $113.7 Million in Lawsuit

A jury has awarded Missouri prison guards compensation for work they performed before and after their shifts.

A Cole County jury on Tuesday awarded $113.7 million to 13,000 current corrections officers or those who worked at the Department of Corrections since 2007.

The St. Louis Post-Dispatch reports legal filings in the case say the guards weren't paid for entrance and exit procedures they must perform every day, even though they are in uniform and expected to respond at any time.

Mary Compton, spokeswoman for the Missouri Attorney General's office, says the lawsuit involves procedures used by the Department of Corrections over several years and administrations. She says the office, which has been defending the state in the case for several years, disagrees with the verdict and is assessing the next step.