“While the Department of Labor’s investigation is still ongoing, the one thing we know for certain is that the federal government found that thousands of dedicated, hardworking employees were underpaid for hours of work they performed at the department,” said Gov. Wes Moore (D). “We not only owe them this now overdue back pay, frankly we owe them an apology.”

On July 5, 2023, almost 3,900 current and former employees at all state prisons under the Maryland Department of Public Safety and Correctional Services will be paid more than $13 million to resolve what union officials called a "wage theft scheme". These claims originated and lasted over 3 years. The Board of Public Works -- comprised of Governor Wes Moore, Comptroller Brooke Lierman and Treasurer Dereck Davis, proposed the $13 million on the same day as they provided nearly $3 million compensation for a man that was wrongfully convicted and imprisoned for 32 years.

According to Maryland Matters, the Maryland Department of Public Safety and Correctional Services was one of two known to be under investigation by the U.S. Department of Labor Wage and Hour Division for under-paying employees. Patrick Moran, President of AFSCME Maryland Council 3 said the department changed start and stop times of employees. The changes resulted in employees not being paid overtime for the hours they worked.

Moran called the settlement “the second largest wage theft settlement for correctional officers in United States history.”