California Prison Psychiatrist Ranks Atop State Payroll
A physician working for California’s overcrowded prison system was paid more than any other state employee in 2010, according to payroll figures released today.
The doctor, whose salary last year was $235,740, collected a total of $777,423, data released by Controller John Chiang show. The total includes a settlement of back pay owed to the doctor, said Nancy Kincaid, a spokeswoman for the court- appointed office that oversees California’s prison medical system.
Nine of the 10 highest-paid state employees were paid more than $500,000 in the 2010 calendar year, amounts that include bonuses, settlements, or retirement payouts of unused vacation time or sick days, the figures show. In contrast, Governor Jerry Brown’s salary is $173,987. Six of the top 10 were prison doctors, psychiatrists or dentists.
Earlier data released by Chiang’s office erroneously showed that a chief psychiatrist for the prison system topped the list with a 2010 compensation of $838,706. A Chiang spokesman, Jacob Roper, cited a data entry error for the mistake. Roper couldn’t immediately say how much the psychiatrist was paid.
To contact the reporter on this story: Michael B. Marois in Sacramento at mmarois@bloomberg.net
To contact the editor responsible for this story: Mark Tannenbaum at mtannen@bloomberg.net
Rate this Page