TALLAHASSEE, Florida – Problems with the state's inadequate supervision of felons once they get out of prison has only been magnified in recent years by state penny-pinching. Yet with a record surplus expected for the upcoming fiscal year, state leaders still aren't addressing the budget shortfalls at the Department of Corrections (DOC).
Seven months after 10 Investigates first exposed how penny-pinching had decimated the DOC's community corrections department, better known as felony probation, officers still don't have enough vehicles or time to check on all the high-risk felons they're tasked with keeping tabs on.
High vacancy and turnover rates have led to enormous caseloads that seem to violate the spirit of state law. And without proper supervision of felons getting out of prison, the community is at unnecessary risk from the convicts -- some of whom are on high-risk or sexual offender lists -- who are more likely to re-offend.
When new DOC Secretary Julie Jones was still fresh on the job in March, she told 10 Investigates it was too late in the budget process to request significant money for officers or major expenses.
Jones, however, ordered all vacancies immediately filled and 10 Investigates helped push the legislature for new probation vehicles and additional budget flexibility, which has allowed the agency to get new supplies to officers across the state.
Yet this fall when Jones submitted her legislative budget request, the DOC again asked for no new dollars toward its biggest expense – and arguably, its most neglected expense -- salaries.
It's been nine years since the state gave probation officers a raise, leading to high turnover and compounding the caseload problem. Probation officers often leave the DOC for other local law enforcement agencies, where their salaries may jump by as much as 50%.
"The pay is always going to be an issue for state employees," Jones said. "So it's my job to make a job as a state employee as appealable as possible."
Jones has a number of major overhauls on her DOC resume in just 10 months on the job, including: the replacement of the majority of her executive team; the firing of hundreds of prison guards; and revamping how probation officers are evaluated, so they aren't penalized for conducting extra unscheduled visits to felons.
Community Corrections is also receiving new computers, flashlights, and eventually smart phones. And Jones is aiming to make $750,000, allocated this year for new vehicles, a recurring allocation to address probation's crippled fleet.
But probation officers tell 10 Investigates the changes are slow and they haven't noticed their caseloads dropping. A review of probation officers in Hillsborough County confirms only a minimal reduction thus far.
"We've really pushed the needle (on probation)," Jones said. "When I started in this department, Community Corrections was the red-headed step child (to prisons)."
But money matters. 10 Investigates has profiled numerous cases where dangerous felons have re-offended after long periods without home visits from their probation officers, bogged down by high caseloads.
"It's a work in progress," Jones said. "We're going to show the people of the state of Florida the good work our people do under very difficult conditions, and push forward (hoping) as the budget stabilizes, money will be available for state employees for a raise."
Except, Florida is flush with money right now. The state is expecting a record surplus in FY16, $635 million. Governor Rick Scott doesn't want to commit the revenue to new spending, but return all of it in the form of various business and sales tax cuts.
Are the governor's priorities dictating how much – or how little - Jones requests from the legislature? She insists the answer is no, and she never got any direction from the governor's office.
"I'm asked by the legislature and the governor's office to bring forward reasonable appropriation requests," Jones said. "Right now, I'm focused on (prison) infrastructure and (officer) hiring."
Democrats in the capital have been especially critical of the state's current priorities, as reports suggest Florida's schools, highways, and agencies are underfunded by more than a billion dollars.
"The governor wants to be known as the person who cut all the taxes and made it the perfect business-friendly state in the nation," said Senate Minority Leader Arthenia Joyner, D-Tampa, who filed a bill that would give a raise to all state employees. "(But the governor) doesn't recognize that we want to be the safest state too … we want to adequately pay the people who provide for our citizens day-in and day-out."
PREVIOUS COVERAGE
3/23/15 - Probation officers blow whistle on dangerous lapses in supervision
3/24/15 - Lawmakers promise swift action on felony probation problems
3/25/15 - DOC, Governor respond to 10 Investigates findings
3/26/15 - Powerful politician pitches major probation overhaul
3/30/15 - DOC skirts law, risks safety on probation caseloads
4/7/15 - Fixes not quick for Florida's probation problems
4/8/15 - Probation officers rally after 10 News stories
4/9/15 - Probation training funds not dedicated to training
6/3/15 - Entering special session, dangerous lapses still exist
6/19/15 - Some help finally coming for probation
Find 10 Investigates reporter Noah Pransky on Facebook or follow his updates on Twitter. Send your story tips confidentially to npransky@wtsp.com.
