TALLAHASSEE, Fla. — The Florida National Guard is getting deployed to state prisons.
Lawmakers on the Joint Budget Commission permitted Friday afternoon a greater than $31 million request from the governor to use guardsmen for employees help at correctional amenities throughout the state.
Gov. Ron DeSantis activated the Guard with an executive order shortly after.
State prisons have lengthy been plagued with security issues, anxious work environments and low pay. It’s resulted in a corrections officer employees scarcity throughout the state. Current estimates from the DOC present a 24.1% emptiness charge.
While new packages boosting pay are serving to, throughout the assembly officers stated the incentives weren’t but sufficient. The proposed activation interval would final up to 9 months to give amenities extra time to fill positions.
“We think, as we continue to hire and reduce the stress on the compounds, the existing officers are going to want to stay because they’re not going to work that amount of overtime they’re currently working,” stated DOC Chief Financial Officer Mark Tallent. “They’re going to have a better family life, be able to get out of the institution more. We definitely think we’re trending in the right direction.”
The guardsmen will function in paid volunteer positions and are not anticipated to have any direct supervision of inmates. Instead, the plan requires “temporary relief to help support current staff and provide the FDC additional time and resources to hire and train new staff…”
Approval was practically sure as each the GOP majority and governor backed the concept. Even so, some Democrats had issues.
“Florida has ignored this agency and ignored this problem, and underfunded this agency for years,” House Minority Leader-Designate Rep. Fentrice Driskell, D-Tampa, stated Friday morning. “Now, it looks like the governor wants to activate the Florida National Guard, which will take people away from their homes, their families, and their jobs.”
Worries included the stretching of state assets throughout a possible catastrophe, disruption to households for months, and their greatest criticism— it was a high-cost band-aid for a power situation.
“We should look at this as an impetus to look forward for the next go around — we looked at the budget beforehand,” Rep. Nicholas Duran, D-Miami, stated. “We are in healthy shape. There truly are some ideas and opportunities for us to fix this issue.”
Leaders with the Florida National Guard tried to ease a few of these anxieties. Officials advised the fee that volunteers had been lined up to meet jail wants with out the requirement of direct orders. Also, that activation would not compromise emergency readiness.
The GOP and most Democrats ended up supporting the concept, Duran included. Two voted in opposition to the funding allotment, Sen. Audrey Gibson, D-Jacksonville, and Rep. Ramon Alexander, D-Tallahassee.