By C1 Staff
TALLAHASSEE — Probation and correctional officers took the halls of the Capitol on Tuesday to lobby lawmakers on their needs this legislative session.
About 60 officers, wearing shirts that read ‘Equal Pay for Equal Risk,’ went to the offices of senators and representatives to state their cases for pay and staffing increases, according to The Tallahassee Democrat.
“There’s no compromise in that,” said Linda Moore, a training sergeant at the Northwest Florida Reception Center in Chipley. “We can’t pick one or the other. We have to have more staff to sustain the safety of our staff and we have to retain enough staff.”
The key to retaining officers is better pay; DOC officers often leave for a new position at a local sheriff’s office that pays thousands more.
With so many leaving, there aren’t enough seasoned officers to show new officers the ropes. Low staffing levels also present a safety risk.
Gov. Rick Scott’s proposed budget calls for 163 additional officers statewide. The Department of Corrections is short 1,400 officers, according to DOC Secretary Julie Jones.