Following reports of job walk-offs at Nebraska prisons, salary hikes and hiring bonuses are apparently paying off and some current workers are also looking to reap the benefits as well.

According to state corrections officials, they've seen a spike in applications since announcing the new pay scales in November, with inquires from at least 10 states including California and Oklahoma.

We're told that five weeks before the changes 162 people applied for entry-level corporal slots and in the five weeks since there have been 630 corporal applicants, a four-fold increase.

In addition 50 of those applicants were referred by current corrections workers, who are in line for a $10,000 referral bonus if the applicants pan out.

“The needle is moving in the right direction," says Corrections Director Scott Frakes. "As we begin to onboard new hires and get them integrated into the daily operations of our facilities, we will see a more noticeable impact."

Earlier this year an independent state investigation found an alarming number of guards quitting after putting in long hours, sometimes 24 hours straight or back-to-back 16 hour days for weeks-on-end.

We’re told one guard fell asleep on the job only to wake up and find inmates holding his keys.

Civil liberty groups then urged Gov. Pete Ricketts to drop plans for a $230 million penitentiary and fix the growing under-staffing problem.

The new state prison is still on the table.