For nearly a year and a half, West Virginia National Guard has been providing support to the state’s Division of Corrections. Inmate overcrowding and correctional officer shortages combined to create a state of emergency, so nearly 350 guard troops have spent time helping operate the state’s jails and prisons. Thanks a number of measures, including bumping starting correctional officer pay from $24,600 in 2017 to $40,000 today, Eyewitness News reported the number of guard members on corrections duty will drop to 250 by the end of the month. Some guard members are taking advantage of job offers and moving to permanent positions in the jails and prisons. If all goes well, every National Guard member will finish their time as emergency corrections staffers by the end of May.