Pursuant to a congressional request, GAO reviewed the pay and benefits of court security officers and U.S. Marshals Service deputy marshals.

GAO found that: (1) the contract cost for court security officers' pay and benefits generally was lower than the cost of using deputy marshals; (2) the pay rate for deputy marshals generally exceeded the pay for court security officers after about 1.5 years of service; (3) retirement and health insurance benefits for security officers were less costly than those for deputy marshals; and (4) the annual cost for court security officers' life insurance was two to three times the cost of life insurance for deputy marshals.