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Programs and plans to keep the DC's most valuable assets safe
and happy include
- Salary increases of 3 to 7.5 percent in 1997
- Flexible work schedules
- Education fee waivers
- Shared positions
- Employee Assistance Program
- Post Trauma Staff Support Team (if employee
suffers a work-related trauma)
- Survivor's Handbook (for families during hard times)
- Precedent-setting Domestic Violence Rule
- Certified Public Manager's Program (to make
our managers even better)
- Women Facing the Future (DC women sharing
their experiences as corrections professionals)
- Sick Leave Transfer Plan (so employees can
share their sick leave when a colleague depletes
their own due to serious illness)
- Rainbow Cultural Unity Month (to celebrate
our heritage and diversity)
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 What DC Employees Have Done
This year was the culmination of the Florida DC's five year plan objective to
obtain additional benefits for staff. We also gained legislative approval to realign the
department as outlined in our strategic plan, our blueprint for future growth. Our
successful efforts resulted in additional relief positions, funding for the step pay plan,
positions to enhance work squads, and improved security systems at existing institutions.
What we gained affects every employee in the department and really, it's overwhelming.
What It Means
The additional benefits we've gained are fairly straightforward and it is my
impression that most employees are pleased. Four hundred and eighty-four positions
and $6.2 million was provided for additional staff. This should result in a sufficient
relief factor to provide further training for officers. It will also allow officers to take
annual leave and have days off that they can count on without being required to pull
double shifts or cancel family plans.
Far less clear, however, is how the reorganization of the Florida DC affects us. In
simple terms, it allows DC to more effectively use our resources, both human and fiscal,
to help us realize the goals in the strategic plan. The realignment of existing
functions within DC provides the department with more flexibility for growth and moves
us toward performance based budgeting and accountability. But what does it mean
for the department, really?
It means change. I've been talking and writing about change for quite awhile.
Change is inevitable. But it is a person's attitude toward change that makes the difference. I can't tell you the number of times I've seen people in meetings, at functions, at
their post, or in their offices get that stubborn look on their faces when the subject of
change (i.e. Total Quality Management Principles, Strategic Planning, Performance
Based Budgeting) is introduced. However, I have been continually gratified and humbled
by the willingness of DC employees to work through the process to gain acceptance
of the changes implemented within the department. It is through their efforts that
the department is well-positioned for the challenges of the 2lst century.
Why We Care
Working for the department is not just a job, it is a lifestyle. Working in
corrections demands 24 hour vigilance. We make a difference because of our staff. Their
attitude, conduct, dedication, and loyalty, makes a difference to each community, each
co-worker, and to the inmates and offenders under our care. Taking the leap of faith
to overcome their suspicion of change and all that it means truly makes every one
of DC's employees the department's most valuable asset. We
are making a difference. There is no doubt.
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