Comments on: Florida Prisons Seek $90 Million To Fix ‘Critically Low’ Staffing, Reduce Shift Length

By: P. Will

P. Will — Fri, 03 Jan 2020 13:29:12 +0000

The department complains about officers working overtime and they believe it’s because officers would rather work on their days off. The problem is, the cost of living continues to go up and officers pay rate is the same forcing officers to work overtime just to survive. There is no way that an officer should have to put their life on the line and struggle financially at the same time.
By the way, I am currently a officer so this is coming from a place of experience and not just assumption.

By: Ex CO Century

Ex CO Century — Fri, 18 Oct 2019 13:18:19 +0000

I worked there for many years. The staff working the compound are no longer allowed to do their jobs. Inmates have to many rights! When you go to prison you should lose those rights. Inmates are allowed to curse staff, the utter disrespect is so bad it can push a person to the breaking point and if you look at one cross eyed they run get on their illegal cell phone and call mommy who in turn calls the warden and then your job is put in jeopardy because you hurt their feelings. Where were these caring parents when their thugs were growing up? I wouldn’t recommend my worst enemy to have a career in corrections after spending my career doing it. Over 20 years with 3 raises. Thanks politicians for ruining what was a decent job and turning it into a nightmare! How many raises did your politicians get, I assure you at least 1 every year they served! I could go on for days but I had to let a little steam out as fter seeing this article.

By: David Huie Green

David Huie Green — Tue, 15 Oct 2019 16:43:54 +0000

REGARDING:
“going to 8’s and giving a raise is really not a raise at all. The pay ends up equaling out.”

Same amount of money and less of your life spent earning it

Yep, that is a raise. Don’t worry. There will still be shortages and overtime.

David for better jobs outside of prison

By: DOESN'T MATTER

DOESN'T MATTER — Tue, 15 Oct 2019 15:20:19 +0000

It doesn’t matter what our suggestions or opinions are they hire people who have never worked shift work in the DOC to run it. Hiring 18 year olds is not the answer, cutting shift hours is not the answer. Alot of people enjoy the 12 hours because of the rotating days off, when I was an officer it was nice you could actually make appointments, participate in family life without using leave. The small amount of extra money you got from the 12 hr shifts was nice too. how about this don’t change the shift , give incentives for employees who have been with doc 5 plus years a reason to stay. Allow auxiliary officers to come in and work some of the shifts that are short. Give a psych test to new hires the list could go on and on thats how bad working for the DOC is now days.

By: Retired CO

Retired CO — Mon, 14 Oct 2019 21:55:32 +0000

A real solution would be to keep the lifers and repeat offenders segregated from new inmates. The new ones are prey to rape, robbery and extortion which create problems. Inmates who can’t follow the rules, take away visitation, canteen and/ or introduce them to the management loaf. Segregation of trouble inmates is important. The officer might then be inclined to work for the state.

By: CO

CO — Mon, 14 Oct 2019 14:39:52 +0000

They think that 8 hour shifts will retain officers but it won’t. A lot of people enjoy 12’s and the extra days off. There will be no incentive to stay. Like someone else mentioned, going to 8’s and giving a raise is really not a raise at all. The pay ends up equaling out for the hours worked and then you add in more wear and tear on vehicles and more gas driving back and forth more often. How about go for retention raises and leave the shifts the hell alone. Maybe if staff felt appreciated by their administration they would be more likely to stay. Maybe if the children being hired didn’t come to work and act like children, more people would stick around. Staff went from being well seasoned officers to young adults that lack maturity. Simply put: the pay isn’t worth the risk anymore. The inmates own the prisons because staff has been forced to become snowflakes.

By: tax payer

tax payer — Mon, 14 Oct 2019 13:24:01 +0000

With about a $2,700,000,000 budget, the state may have to change its policy on taking prisoners.

By: Pete

Pete — Mon, 14 Oct 2019 01:49:47 +0000

When you keep lowering the age to be a corrections officer is just hiring a body to fill a gape. That is exactly the logic being used. Nothing about what it takes to retain an officer…a quality officer that is.the educational part also has becomes not important.

By: What a joke

What a joke — Sun, 13 Oct 2019 22:34:07 +0000

McDonald’s managers make more than correctional officers, and it’s not really a raise 100 dollar a month pay cut going to 8 hour shifts ,with a 100 dollar a month “pay raise” for a total raise of 0 actually officers will spend more on fuel and vehicle maintenance so actually it’s a pay cut in reality.

By: JB

JB — Sun, 13 Oct 2019 16:54:59 +0000

J D
You are absolutely correct. But what can be done about it?