Illinois Prison Guards Racked Up $62 Million In Overtime In 2012

(CBS) -- Guards at Illinois state prisons worked overtime last year to the tune of $62 million, but that won't be the case this year.

Department of Corrections spokesman Tom Shaer says there was a 34 percent increase in overtime last year but that's because the unions stalled the closings of Tamms and Dwight correctional facilities

"So we had to wait for seven months to be able to transfer those guards into very important positions at Pontiac and other prisons," said Shaer.

Shaer says the state has an obligation to run the prisons efficiently as long as they aren't jeopardize safety and while the job losses that happened with the closure of Tamms and Dwight were unfortunate, those facilities weren't needed.