The largest potential change to the Florida prison system failed to pass in the Florida Senate this week, but opponents to the bill are concerned that the fight isn't over.
A state bill, which was introduced to the Senate on Jan. 20, was aimed at privatizing the state's prisons. It received only 19 of 21 votes.
If the bill had been approved, the Corrections Corporation of America would have been in charge of Florida's prisons rather than local governments.
"This is a top priority of Gov. Rick Scott, and it was an attempt to give our taxpayer money to his corporate bankers," said David Bergstein, spokesman for the Florida Democratic Party. "Democrats and Republicans came together to defeat this bill, which would have posed a threat to Florida's economy and rural economy across the state."
Since there is a chance the bill could come back, the debate isn't over, said Jeff McAdams, president of the Alachua County Fraternal Order of Police lodge.
"Until the session is over, it isn't a done deal," he said.
He said the bill is a bad policy for Florida because it could lead to looser safety measures that could lead to an inmate breakout.
The introduction of the bill means state prisons may have a reduced budget next year, McAdams said.
McAdams said the Corrections Corporation of America promised to save the state 7.5 percent of its prisons budget for the next fiscal year. The state Senate is still considering cutting that 7.5 percent because it was not planning to pay that cost, he said.
Cutting the budget even more in an economic downturn would put the police force in a worse place than it already is, he said.
"Crime goes up when the economy goes down," McAdams said. "Our community was hit hard by the economic recession, but with qualified prison staff, we can come back."
If a prison has less money, he said, it has to settle for a less-qualified staff, which also increases the chances of an inmate breakout.
"We have a number of correctional facilities within arms' reach of the UF campus," McAdams said. "I don't want inmates preying on students."
Sen. John Thrasher, who supported the bill, did not return calls requesting comment.
