by John Kennedy
The News Service of Florida
One of Gov.-elect Rick Scott’s most high-profile campaign promises, to slash $1 billion from the state’s prison system, drew a powerful pushback when the union representing correctional officers aired television spots warning he would start releasing inmates to reduce spending.
But a lengthy list of less-stunning belt-tightening measures is quietly emerging. Many are likely to find their way into Scott’s February budget proposal to lawmakers, those close to the incoming administration say.
“The plan was to find a billion in seven years,” said Scott spokesman Brian Burgess, disputing the Florida Police Benevolent Association’s TV spots, which implied the cut would be a first-year reduction that dramatically shrunk the Corrections Department’s $2.4 billion budget.
“We will do that and more by eliminating waste and improving efficiency,” Burgess said of the $1 billion savings claim. “Privatization isn’t necessary for us to achieve that goal, but nothing is off the table while we are still in the review and planning phase.”
The Florida Senate may be among those providing Scott with a road map to some savings. A recent study by the Criminal Justice Committee points out that state spending on inmate health care services hit $400 million last year, almost double the level of a decade ago. The study suggests that some of Scott’s cost-cutting could be reached by giving private vendors a bigger share of inmate care.
Meanwhile, the state’s Office of Program Policy Analysis and Government Accountability has sent to state legislative leaders a host of other potential prison savings, some of which mirror those also advanced by state business groups, led by Florida TaxWatch.