The chairman of the Senate subcommittee that writes the criminal justice budget expressed anger Monday at the possibility that prison privatization could come with $25 million in costs related to employee departures, and vowed his committee will hold a hearing on the matter.
Sen. Mike Fasano, R-New Port Richey, chairman of the Senate Criminal and Civil Justice Appropriations Subcommittee, said his committee should have been told that a plan given the OK by lawmakers last year to move forward with a massive privatization of prisons, could cost nearly $25 million in compensation to laid-off employees for things like un-used vacation and sick time.
“Certainly we need to know whether the privatization package that is being put in place is going to cost the taxpayers $25 million,” Fasano told the News Service. “I want to hear from the Department of Corrections.”
Fasano said his committee will hold a hearing on the issue, likely this year.
Fasano said he didn’t know how many legislators understood when they approved the privatization plan earlier this year that the costs might be part of the deal. But, he said, his committee deals with the agency’s budget, and he didn’t know about it, nor did committee staff. He said he didn’t believe any members of his committee were made aware of the cost.
The budget that went into effect July 1 calls for privatization of 29 prisons in the southern half of the state.
The Tallahassee Democrat reported on Monday that Deputy Corrections Secretary Daniel Ronay mentioned the cost in an email sent in May, after the legislative session was over, to the governor’s office, expressing concern about the possible payout. Ronay said in the email that lawmakers were told about the issue. A criminal justice aide to Gov. Rick Scott, Bonnie Rogers, replied that the governor’s office was also concerned about the cost, according to an email cited by the Democrat.
“I’d like to know who they told,” Fasano said. “Did they tell anyone it was going to cost the taxpayers close to $25 million.”
Fasano said he believed from an inquiry made with the Corrections agency that Senate Budget Chairman JD Alexander knew about the potential cost, and believed it would be offset by savings from the privatization.
Alexander, R-Lake Wales, didn’t immediately respond to a call seeking comment Monday.
“This privatization issue that Sen. Alexander pushed has a huge consequence,” said Fasano.
The state last month released a request for proposals calling for a five-year contract with a single bidder to run 29 facilities associated with 11 South Florida correctional institutes, though the union that represents a large number of corrections workers, the Florida Police Benevolent Association, has sued to try to block the plan.
By David Royse
