Correctional Officers Applaud Senate for Killing Prison Privatization

Say Privatizing Prisons Would Have Put Thousands Out of Work, Hurt Communities

TALLAHASSEE, Fla., Feb. 14, 2012 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Florida correctional officers today praised the Senate today for voting down a bill that would have privatized more than two dozen prisons.  

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The Senate vote of 19-21 killed the legislation. Yesterday, Sen. Mike Fasano, R-New Port Richey, introduced an amendment to turn the privatization bill into a study, which would have effectively killed it. That amendment failed by a vote of 21-19.

"Florida Department of Corrections officers are extremely thankful to the senators who stood up for us," said Brian Cliffint, a sergeant at New River Correctional Institution. "The privatization proposal would have put thousands of FDOC employees out of work and seriously harmed our communities and our families."

Cliffint was among the dozens of Teamsters who traveled to Tallahassee today to lobby against the bill. Over the past few weeks, hundreds of correctional officers have visited the Capitol to oppose plans to privatize 27 correctional facilities and work camps and to close 11.

"We are so grateful that a bipartisan Senate majority decided against this damaging legislation," said Ken Wood, Acting President of Teamsters Local 2011, which represents 20,000 Florida Department of Corrections officers. "They supported hard-working corrections officers and their communities, and they protected Florida taxpayers from spending billions on secret contracts with no public oversight.

"The Teamsters are still fighting hard against unnecessary closures of correctional facilities and work camps, but for now, we're very pleased with the Senate's action," Wood said.

For more information, visit http://fdocteamsters.org.

Founded in 1903, the Teamsters Union represents 1.4 million hardworking men and women throughout the United States, Canada and Puerto Rico. For more information, go to www.teamster.org or follow us on Twitter @TeamsterPower.

SOURCE Teamsters Local 2011