Lawmakers Want Electronic Time Clocks For Prisons

March 9, 2012

Legislators will consider a budget today that includes  provision to withhold up to $1 million from the Department of Corrections until it puts in place an electronic time and attendance system.

The issue of electronic time clocks has irked Senate Budget Chairman JD Alexander, R-Lake Wales, for a couple of years, since lawmakers first put a requirement for such a time clock system for state prisons in the law in 2010. The prison system didn’t implement the requirement however, even though it was put in the law again last year.

This session, Alexander mentioned the issue several times in complaining that the Department of Corrections hasn’t done enough to save money – citing that reluctance as part of the reason some members of the Legislature were intent on privatizing more prisons, though they were unsuccessful in that effort this year.

The budget up for a vote on Friday says that of the money earmarked for the Department of Corrections, $1 million of it will be held in reserve until the agency’s “successful statewide implementation of the electronic time and attendance system.”

By The News Service of Florida

Comments

9 Responses to “Lawmakers Want Electronic Time Clocks For Prisons”

  1. DB on March 13th, 2012 11:06 am

    I would love to see this installed at our institution. Main reason being it would track the ones who are always late coming through the gate and releiving their follow workers late all the time……

  2. No Excuses on March 12th, 2012 2:16 pm

    I am a correctional worker. I am FOR the electronic time and attendance system. It keeps everyone on the up and up and keeps people from being required to work without compensation. If you’re on the clock, you get paid, plain and simple. There was a huge lawsuit within the Bureau of Prisons about 10 years ago that resulted in these practices being put to a stop and a substantial amount of compensation being paid to affected employees. I don’t want anything I don’t have coming to me, but if I earned it, well……..

  3. retired po po on March 10th, 2012 6:32 pm

    Privatizing prisons cost the tax payers more in the long run, the lawsuits double, this raises the cost of liability insurance for the STATE/county and many more factors come into play. Do your research on this and see why some gave the operations back to the states and counties. It allows them to hire the medical company they want and all of these companies are in the back pockets of the legislatures. America had better get smart and see what the long term plan is for us. Google New World Order and see where they are taking us.

  4. 429SCJ on March 10th, 2012 2:43 am

    Hello State Corrections Officer, keep a log of all the overtime hours, dates and times that you perform work, without compensation. $

  5. State Correctional Officer on March 9th, 2012 12:30 pm

    I hope this happens. The State will have to pay me for the 30 minutes of overtime that they scew me out of everyday instead of making me work it without getting paid. YES, THIS IS HAPPENING EVERYDAY. To everyone who works at every prison in the state. You best not complain either !!! The Department of Corrections will not comply because it will cost them well over the $1 Million that they are not getting in the overtime that they will have to pay out. To MICHAEL WEAVER: You probaly think that professional wrestling is real and that the moon landing was fake.

  6. just my opinion on March 9th, 2012 11:58 am

    The electronic time system is being pushed due to the Teamsters Union citing unfair labor practices within the prison system.

    @ MICHAEL WEAVER: I dont think you realize all the problems privatization will cause.

    1) Several individuals who “run this state” have interest in the private prison corporations. This means, when the corporation makes money, so do they.

    2) If this occurs, the local government will have more reason to LOCK YOU UP!

    3) When they LOCK YOU UP, it costs the tax payers more money.

    4) Employees at the corporation are not required to obtain the same credentials and training as state operated facilities, thus posing a huge danger to the public.

    I can continue my ranting, but if you have any intelect at all, you can figure out the rest. Best regards!

  7. c.w. on March 9th, 2012 9:28 am

    I FOR ONE AM COMPLETELY IN FAVOR OF ALL THE STATE PRISONS BEING PRIVATIZED.

    I think the private run prisons is just dumb. Maybe the teamsters will put scott in his place, PRISON.

  8. Kathy on March 9th, 2012 8:25 am

    What the heck is the difference in signing a time card and using an expensive time clock.? C’mon, State employees don’t get regular overtime. Just another way to make prison workers miserable. They need to feed their cronies and it is on the backs of state employees.

  9. MICHAEL WEAVER on March 9th, 2012 1:52 am

    IS THE TIME CLOCK SYSTEM FOR THE PAID GUARDS AND STAFF? NOT SURE I UNDERSTAND THE ARTICLE COMPLETELY. I FOR ONE AM COMPLETELY IN FAVOR OF ALL THE STATE PRISONS BEING PRIVATIZED.