Audit Finds California Corrections Dept. Overpaid Some Workers

SACRAMENTO (CBS / AP) -- A new audit has found that California's corrections department overpaid some employees for salaries and travel advances.

One former employee received a check for nearly $15,000 for both a salary advance and a final paycheck. Another employee received more than $8,000 on to top of a regular paycheck.

The audit was released Wednesday by the state controller's office. The controller looked at records from July 1, 2009, through July 31, 2010.

It found the Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation has been slow to collect millions of dollars in overpayments to employees for travel and salary advances.

Of more than $6 million in advances, $4 million took longer than 60 days to collect. And $465,000 had been outstanding for more than three years.

Corrections officials say they are implementing better controls.

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