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New Gov’s Cuts To Corrections Budget Raises Concerns
November 26, 2010
For many in the North Escambia area, there are concerns that privatization or budget cuts could mean closures at prisons like Century Correctional Institution.
When Governor-elect Rick Scott unveiled his economic plan on the campaign trail this summer, there was a portion that caught law enforcement professionals by surprise, a proposed $1 billion cut to the state’s corrections’ budget.
Scott’s plan for the corrections system is setting up a potentially heated political fight between his new administration, coming in looking to make drastic cuts in what Scott believes is a bloated budget and on the other side law enforcement officials who say his plan is unrealistic and lawmakers who don’t want to be soft on crime.
Scott has maintained that Florida’s per-prisoner costs can be reduced and that he wants to work with the Department of Corrections in looking for ways to bring costs down. And he’s not ruling out any options.
“For those costs that remain out of line, we will look at all available options, including privatization, but the first option is to work with DOC,” said Scott transition spokesman Trey Stapleton.
The potential for a privatization plan don’t sit well with at least one major player who has a role in the development of the criminal justice budget. State Sen. Mike Fasano, R-New Port Richey, who was recently appointed chairman of the Senate’s Criminal Justice Appropriations committee, isn’t on board with additional prison privatization.
“I don’t have a problem at government looking at privatization in certain areas, but it should never be in public safety. Never,” Fasano said.
Fasano predicted privatization will be a major discussion point for his committee, though, as legislative committee meetings begin next month and continue into the spring as the 2011 legislative session begins. He said so far, he has not gotten any direction or pressure from Senate President Mike Haridopolos or his other colleagues on the issue.
Haridopolos has not yet assigned other senators to the criminal justice appropriations committee and House Speaker Dean Cannon has not yet named a chair for his subcommittee on criminal justice appropriations. Scott has also not named Corrections secretary.
The governor-elect has, however, appointed an extensive transition team to help him navigate law enforcement issues. The chair of the law enforcement committee for his transition team is Pasco County Sheriff Bob White, who rather than proposing budget cuts, actually asked for more tax dollars, appealing the issue to Gov. Charlie Crist.
Scott has mentioned a few ideas for cutting $1 billion, including using inmate labor to grow prison food and competitively bidding health care contracts, though that is already done to some extent.
The Florida Police Benevolent Association, which backed Scott’s opponent Alex Sink in the election, has noted that even privatizing the system might not result in a $1 billion cut to the budget. The only way to get that big of a savings, said PBA executive director David Murrell, would be to cut personnel or release prisoners early.
“The Department of Corrections has been cut and cut and cut and they’re to a point where it’s a safety issue,” Murrell said. “Mark my words, one of these days there’s going to be a bad incident. It’s gotten to that point where it’s that critical.”
Though the PBA supported Sink, it has fluctuated in its support of Democratic and Republican candidates. But Murrell said he doesn’t believe anyone in the Republican leadership is going to support a budget that will significantly cut criminal justice funding.
“What will really be interesting is if he [Scott] persists into wanting to cut that kind of money and that would fly in the face of the general Republican philosophy of being tough on crime,” Murrell said. “I don’t think I’ve ever met a Republican who wants to look soft on crime.”
Stapleton said that to his knowledge Scott has not had any discussions yet with legislative leadership over the prisons’ budget.
The News Service Florida contributed to this report.
Pictured: A guard tower rises above Century Correctional Institution. Pictured bottom inset: Razor wire lines a fence at Century Correctional Institute. NorthEscambia.com photos, click to enlarge.
Comments
39 Responses to “New Gov’s Cuts To Corrections Budget Raises Concerns”
how about all the poeple who want to cut employees actually work a day in the prison system with inmates before they cut jobs? job cuts have left the people who still work there in harms way.this comes from someone who actually worked at a prison and seen the need for more employees NOT LESS.
true, but until proven he hurts public safety, it might not affect him. Besides he may not plan to run for reelection as governor. Jimmy Carter only served one term in Georgia, knew he would lose a reelection bid, looked elsewhere.
All I can say is if our new governor cuts budgets that impact public safety, he also cuts his chances of re-election. I’m just sayin’…….
I didnt say that it was mandatory, I said alot of companies legally have that option. Knowing 2 people out of the thousands of people in the DROP that kept their pay doesnt change my facts.
Regarding:
Once an employee enters the DROP he/she has signed a contract saying that they are severing employment at the end of the five to seven years whereas they may have stayed another 10 to 12 years at a high salary. Alot of employers reduce your pay to enty level once you enter the DROP so,say, if you were a top paid clerk/typist making 50 K per year, when you enter the DROP you are reduced to entry level pay for the duration. By doing that an employer gets an experienced employee without having to pay seniority. The DROP guarantees you a percentage rate on the interest you acrue on your retirement annuity while in the DROP, anything over and beyond that is profit for the employer. Since you are retired the employer no longer has the obligation to pay benefits to you and benefits are a large percentage of employee costs.
You need to do your home work on DROP I personally know one person who has been in DROP and one that is in DROP and neither lost their pay nor their benefits.
I have read the artical, and most of these comments, I will say this, i have some relatives that work as correction officers and they have not have a raise in years, now the governer and the state of fl want to cut jobs, hmmm lets see,
HOW to SAVE the STATE some money, let start at the top, ALL the top people here need to live as the co,s DO. FROM the WARDEN ,ASST WARDEN, COLONELS, these people live in Free housing, Free Gas, have a car furnished to them form the State, they receive pay raises and bonunes every year, Free CELL PHONES,
Now if you take all that away from these people, and have them to pay their own bills, just look at all the money you just saved the state, then their would be no need to cut jobs,
our co,s are the one,s here doing all the work, they are the ones that need the pay raises, they put their lives on the line every day, and for what?? so some ego ridden jerk gets the glory…. so just some food for thought, if and when this all happens, remember that the WARDEN, ASST WARDEN, COLONELS, WILL GET A NICE BONUS SAYING SEE LOOK WHAT I JUST SAVED THE STATE,, NOW you just defeated what you set out to do..to save money…
I figured the people posting on here that work at the prison would choose their words more carefully. As far as the people that have relatives in prison, I’m your relatives have given you a thought for every occasion.. Wise up!
Once an employee enters the DROP he/she has signed a contract saying that they are severing employment at the end of the five to seven years whereas they may have stayed another 10 to 12 years at a high salary. Alot of employers reduce your pay to enty level once you enter the DROP so,say, if you were a top paid clerk/typist making 50 K per year, when you enter the DROP you are reduced to entry level pay for the duration. By doing that an employer gets an experienced employee without having to pay seniority. The DROP guarantees you a percentage rate on the interest you acrue on your retirement annuity while in the DROP, anything over and beyond that is profit for the employer. Since you are retired the employer no longer has the obligation to pay benefits to you and benefits are a large percentage of employee costs.
REGARDING:
“.i also think that once an inmate has completed their sentences/parole and “repaid their debt to society” they should have their voting rights restored…when they integrate back into society, they will have to pay their taxes, just like anyone else..it is unfair that they are forever denied the privilege of voting”
They can petition the County Commissioners to have their citizenship and associated rights restored. This should also allow them to go back to carrying firearms, so JOY, JOY, JOY for all of us when it is done. Usually they wait a bit and keep their noses clean to show they are ready to be trustworthy citizens.
Loss of citizenship rights is part of the penalty of being convicted of committing a felony. Thus, their penalty is not just being locked up or being put on probation. THEY have disqualified themselves from voting. Many people definitely don’t understand this fact.
If we really want convicted felons deciding the fate of the nation by giving all of them the vote, we might as well let them vote while still incarcerated. After all, they are the same person while doing a nickel as when finished. In cases like the 2000 Presidential election, a few thousand more votes would have made it even more interesting. I wonder if they would’ve gone for Bush or Gore.
David considering a world
in which inmates run the asylum
Regarding
Double dipping actually saves the employers money by reducing the employees benefit cost and in some cases the employer makes money by skimming the extra percentage off of the DROP interest. Do your homework
Please educate me! How does this save money? An employee retires making 100,000 continues to work making 100,000= 200,000+ benefits-retirement. Or employee retires making 100,000 replacement 60,000= 160,000+ benefits+ retirement. Extra savings that could be around the corner is dropping retirement and picking up a 401K which would save the state money. I admit I am uneducated when it comes to politics but I know the difference between apples and oranges. I wait in anticipation for your educating response.
Double dipping actually saves the employers money by reducing the employees benefit cost and in some cases the employer makes money by skimming the extra percentage off of the DROP interest. Do your homework
i too, have a loved one incarcerated in a florida prison- ive been to the visitations many times and listened to the many grievences that are recounted- on one hand, i get angered at certain inhumane/unfair injustices that my loved one goes through…then, on the other hand, i feel…well, your poor choices got you here, youre not in kansas anymore and..maybe if its bad enough you wont repeat your poor choices when you do get out..so, suck it up…..i just wish that some COs wouldnt take out their pent up anger/anxiety (over their job situation, possibly) on the inmates….i also think that once an inmate has completed their sentences/parole and “repaid their debt to society” they should have their voting rights restored…when they integrate back into society, they will have to pay their taxes, just like anyone else..it is unfair that they are forever denied the privilege of voting…afterall, non-citizens, aka illegal immigrants are voting in some places in the U.S. (easily googled).
REGARDING:
“They need to turn all non violent prisoners loose there are better ways of dealing with them.”
So you figure all burglars, vandals, flashers, thieving CEOs, embezzlers should be running around loose?
David, sad because prison is unpleasant for some
I have family in your prison and the inmates are treated tearably washing their cloths in gray water , lousy food that a dog would not eat if it had a choice and no air conditioning in the summer , no respect at all. But the justice system is messed up as well The only people that need to be in prison is the violent criminal or repeat offender. my realative was a first time offender and a respected man in the community who gave all but 3 months to the state in civil service he was convicted on circumstancial evidence and has been in prison two years now. They blackmailed him into not appealing because it would cost the state more money yet they prefer keeping him locked up costing more and more money.. If they thought he was guilty they could have fined him and he could have paid money to State instead the state atterney wanted revenge. they even took his retirement which he earned. Talk about justice. They need to turn all non violent prisoners loose there are better ways of dealing with them. Too many locked up with violent criminals talk about fear!!!
REGARDING:
“u have ignorant people out there who have no clue to wat goes on inside a prison i have been doing it for 17 yrs i know the food is disgusting and i wouldnt feed it to my dog but thats not the issue in reality our new governor should be an inmate look how much money he stole probably millions”
If you could prove he stole it, he would be an inmate. Therefore, either he didn’t steal it, or the prosecutors were incompetent, or he’s a very smart man. Two of the three possibilities might make him a good governor (and your boss?). The second one might mean we need better lawyers but they aren’t under him.
And, yes, it’s a shame most of us don’t know what the inside of a prison is like. Our mommies told us to try to stay out of them and we listened. I have no idea what the food’s like, no reason for it to be bad unless the inmates make bad cooks. Maybe your dog’s spoiled.
David for discouraging incarceration
Didnt a bunch of corrections officers get caught during the last drug sweep through century? And you want Gov Scott in jail?
I didnt know Gov. Scott was Convicted of a crime……….interesting.
u have ignorant people out there who have no clue to wat goes on inside a prison i have been doing it for 17 yrs i know the food is disgusting and i wouldnt feed it to my dog but thats not the issue in reality our new governor should be an inmate look how much money he stole probably millions and now the crook is running florida and now he wants to cut our pay and mabe lay off co’s i bet scott is to much of a coward to even walk in our shoes for a day and deal with the stuff we see and deal with on a daily basis all these people making stupid remarks on here would be terrified to walk in my shoes for a day i deal with inmates every day that have 9999 release dates who have absolutely nothing to loose by killing a co and u think they have it made yea watever the only comfort they have is heat in the winter and sometimes that dont even work i have walked in a dorm befor when it was freezing inside and you would have to wear a jacket inside just to stay warm and you stupid people think they have it made
WOW…such a greedy, corrupted and dangerous society we all have to live in and call home now! I know that their is still GOOD in our society, but the BAD is really starting to over shadow it more and more everyday. So very sad!
I wanted to share my thoughts and opinions about this subject too, but decided I better not because I have no faith and trust in society now. Don’t want some newly released criminal coming after me as payback for whom I might have offended.
Double dipping actually saves the employers money by reducing the employees benefit cost and in some cases the employer makes money by skimming the extra percentage off of the DROP interest. Do your homework
Cut Budgets but cut from top! The $$ is being spent at the top. CO ’s work an extremely high risk job, high stressed and underpaid for what they do. Look at all the double dipping done thruout the state and there is where u can save… Why should an elected official be entitled to insurance for life, retirement etc after working only 6 yrs…. I think I’m right on this… Can u imagine if private company had to “take care of” their employee in all ways if they only stay with a company six yrs?
Look at Esc Cty… Janet Holley- $100k ++,retire, double dip, double retirement, double salary?? It’s Ridiculous! I know this is county but isn’t state the same ??
Crazy!
I feel sorry for the CO’s. There is not enough money in the total state budget to pay me to work as a CO. Being in a lock down with a group of prisoners who have nothing better to do but to find some way to mess with the CO’s is not a job I would want. The prisoners spend part of their time making weapons and are a threat to the CO’s and others. Maybe Mr Scott needs to try working as a CO for a week and get a real feel for what they put up with.
One way to save the state some money would be to do away with the double dippers; this is where a state employee can make 100,000 dollars at retirement and then continue to work making 100,000 dollars. It’s not as big a problem with the bottom jobs just the greedy rich employees. Rick Scott would probably be one of these folks if he could. Another way to save money in the prison system if there is no doubt and a criminal has been caught red handed killing, rapeing, and molesting take them out right then and do away with them. But no that would be to inhumane and we will just continue to feed these animals. That also reminds me you can get more time by kicking a dog than shooting a human.
We can only guess what a perfect society contains, but I still like your thinking.
in a perfect society, there would be no crime, no need for prisons and all corrections officers would be unemployed other than the fact that unemployment doesn’t happen in a perfect society.
■David Huie Green, in a perfect society your thinking will work great.
i am a co and work at century. this is an employer that treats their employees as if we were the criminals and i know if i hate my job why don’t i quit….well my family must eat. i am astounded at the stupidity of this leadership. we are constantly faced to work doubles even yesterday, on thanksgiving, numerous officers had to work 2 shifts and call their disappointed wives, husbands and children and tell them i want be home today. where were all you col, majors, Liut, and wardens….oh thats right with your families….shame on you. all this because you have no organization skills…no common sense and noooo compassion. some of you are just like these politicians……running from an office desk and not rolling your shirtsleeves up to come join us lower ranks to see exactly what your employees go through…..if rick scott cuts the corrections budget you can believe all officers lives will be in danger from these inmates. the inmates already feel the tension in the air from us and they are ready, willing and able to take advantage of this and take advantage of us. CUT FROM THE TOP DOWN IF IT HAS TO BE DONE!!
REGARDING:
“Solution is decriminalize marijuana”
Let’s assume you get the Governor or the President to pardon all prisoners who are there solely based on marijuana, about 1.6%. That still leaves you with the other 98.4%.
David thinking that wouldn’t help much
REGARDING:
“How does the government abrogate its responsibility and then transfer its authority to a civilian contractor?”
Working through civilian contractors is not an abrogation of responsibility. They would still be responsible for seeing it was done properly. Just think how the constitution includes authorizing privateers, limited pirates.
(Article I, Section 8: The Congress shall have power:- – - To declare war, grant letters of marque and reprisal, and make rules concerning captures on land and water;)
They can farm out war making, they can farm out any duty.
It may not be a good idea, but it can be done. Generally, the way you see cost savings this way is by hiding the real costs as long as possible and then blame them on someone else.
David considering the costs
and methods of crime
I wish those who comment on how “cushy”life is in prisons were required to spend a few anonymous days inside as a prisoner. Then, their comments would be worth hearing.
Terri Sanders:
First of all the prisoners eat crappy food and there isn’t any air condiitoners in any dorms. Before you open your mouth you should do some research and get your facts straight. The officers work extremely hard for little to no pay, and they do it in extreme conditions. Working in the Department of Corrections is an extremely stressful job and not to mention high risk. Maybe RIck Scott should donate some of that money he stole to D.O.C. and there won’t be any need for budget cuts.
CO – Can’t do the time, Don’t do the crime. And, by the way, prisoners still have it better than some of our citizens.
Solution is decriminalize marijuana, that would cut a large portion of the jail inmates out.
Maybe our country should stop being #1 in jailing its own citizens. Can you believe we jail more of our own people than any other country in the world!
terri sanders,
you have no idea do you ? there is no air conditioning, there is for sure not great meals, and no cable tv. could you imagine living with 70 other men in one room with no privacy what so ever. get your facts straight.
Most of the prisoners eat better and live in better condition than alot of our citizens do.Cut the fluff for the inmates,how about bread and water? no air conditioning,ect.Oh but wait,the the ACLU screams civil rights.Seems like the days of Gunsmoke had a prison system that worked.No one wanter to go to jail because it was hell.Maybe we could cut our prisons to hellish conditions crime would not pay as much.Remember in the long run it is we the tax payers who pay for all this fluff.Their victims had not fluff,most of them either dead or THEY live a life of hell.Screw the ACLU and give prisoners what they desreve,and its not cable,access to colleges,great meals and hot showers.
In cutting expenses for the Florida DOC; they should look first at the Top paid official for running the DOC. The Warden,Assistant Wardens and Colnels should be the next ones to experince cutbacks. Free housing should be taken away along with any other kind of Bonuses they receive. The Officers have not received any kind of pay raises in the last 5 years or more. When it comes to the publics safety the officers are the ones depended on. Let’s start cutting the high ranking officials pay and see just how much can be save on running the prison systems in the State of Florida.
A family member of mine is a Corrections officer. They are worked long hours with little pay as it is for the type of work they do. They are short handed all the time. If budget cuts are needed, Govenor Rick Scott should look in his own back pocket for it. The Corrections system is not what needs cut. If anything the budget for the Corrections system should be increased and padded. We the citizens would like to be safe from criminals. If all the citizens knew what really is going on in our corrections institutions and the government leniency already afforded the prisoners in those institutions, they would be appalled. The Correction officers nor the citizens should have to endure more horrors that budget cuts would cause. We will all be affected in the worst type of way if this is allowed to happen.
Having worked with DOC it seems housing for superintendents and assistant superintendents could be a source of budget cutting. Also, let them use their own cars and pay mileage. Make them pay rent at the same rate as regular renters do not for free, if it is part of their income then it should be counted as income and filed on income tax reports. They can save for their summer homes just as others do and not at the expense of us the tax payers. They get their yards cut by inmates, etc. The benevolent funds are rip offs if one could see how much each family receives in the event of job related deaths. Law enforcement is a job of choice just like being a computer tech. Governor Chiles saw to it that a lot of communities were given jobs and opportunities, but the pyramid is upside down, which in the past few years has been corrected, but not enough.
How does the government abrogate its responsibility and then transfer its authority to a civilian contractor? Above all, everyone should consider the housing and administration of prisoner punishment exclusively government functions since it is the government who put prisoners in jail to begin with.