August 19, 2011
Prison privatization costs taxpayers more
There is a natural tendency among politicians new to Tallahassee to assume that when they encounter resistance to change it is because of inertia rather than informed experience. The latest debacle involves the bold and quick decision by the Republican-led Legislature to privatize 30 state prison facilities in 18 South Florida counties. A minor detail not discussed at the time: up to $25 million in public money to provide severance pay to more than 4,000 Department of Corrections workers.
Corrections staffers say they told the legislative staff about the expense, but it was never discussed openly nor addressed in this year's state budget. Now it appears the agency will need to find the money - a prospect the corrections secretary warned "may just cripple the agency" - or seek special dispensation from the Joint Legislative Budget Commission...
LINK - TampaBay.com
