Corrections Officers

As the state struggles with a shortage of correctional officers, a legislative panel this week will consider a plan that would activate Florida National Guard members to help at prisons, according to a document published Friday.

A top corrections official offered a stark picture of Florida’s prison system Wednesday, warning that lawmakers must boost salaries of corrections workers to avert a looming disaster as the system grapples with high turnover rates, dangerously low staffing levels and fatigued employees.

Officials in rural areas of North Florida where two prisons have been temporarily shuttered are pleading with state leaders to ensure that the closures aren’t permanent, arguing that the institutions are a vital part of the local economy.

A grand jury has indicted a former Tallahassee corrections worker on charges of sexually abusing inmates at the Federal Correctional Institution in Tallahassee.

Since the pandemic began, 3,032 corrections staff working in Florida's prisons have tested positive for the coronavirus.

The Florida Department of Corrections is asking state legislators to increase its budget so it can address long-standing issues with the treatment of…