Gov. Jim Justice signed three bills into law this week that will give pay raises to current Department of Corrections officers. The bills passed by the state legislature during the special session will also increase the starting pay for officers that are newly hired. The bills provide $25 million to increase starting pay for new hires, with the hope of bringing in people to fill 700 vacant corrections worker positions, according to a news release. The new law also gives raises to current staff, and a bonus for non-uniformed staff employed by the Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation. First-year correctional officers’ salaries will go from $35,000 to $40,000. Another raise at the end of the second year would bring their salary to $48,000.