ALBANY, N.Y. — New York State will continue to pay an increased overtime rate to prison workers as the corrections system faces staffing shortages.

The state will continue to pay overtime at a 2.5 times rate through May 9 to “recover, recruit and rebuild” following the unsanctioned prison guard strike at correctional facilities across the state.

Those strikes ended a month ago when the state fired 2,000 corrections officers who didn’t return to their post ahead of a deadline to accept a deal. About 5,000 corrections officers who remained on strike returned to work to accept the deal that sought to improve working conditions.