A legislative budget panel is scheduled to meet Wednesday to discuss whether to approve a request by the Department of Corrections to pay two private prison companies to take over health care services in Florida’s prisons. But, if the request is approved, a state employee union is poised to take the matter to court.
It won’t be the first time a legal challenge has been brought on this issue by AFSCME, or the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees. And, the union’s spokesman Doug Martin says it won’t be the last, if the Joint Legislative Budget Commission approves the Department’s request to privatize inmate health care services:
“The Legislative Budget Commission is supposed to make transfers between funds, while the Legislature is out of session," said Martin. "This goes far beyond just transferring between funds and authorizes a statewide privatization that is not in the original budget.”
For the privatization effort to move forward by January, the Department of Corrections, under approval from the Governor, is asking the commission to approve a transfer of funds from the state’s General Revenue of about $58 million. The money will go toward the department contracting with two private vendors, Wexford Health Sources and Corizon.
AFSCME along with the Florida Nurses Association recently tried to block the state's efforts, claiming the privatization was only allowed under an expired budget provision. But, a judge recently rejected that argument, but told the unions they were welcome to file another lawsuit. The decision to privatize inmate health care services could leave about 3,000 state employees out of work.
The Joint Legislative Budget Commission meets Wednesday at 11 a.m. to consider the request.
