Secretary's Message

As we publish this newsletter, we are just a few days away from the national election. Those of us who work in the criminal justice system, more than many other US citizens, are profoundly affected by the prevailing political winds.

I hope all of you will exercise your right to vote. This is one of the most crucial duties of the citizens of a democracy. The sanctity of the voting process is the underpinning of order in our society. Some say that voting is a civic sacrament. In America, ballots are stronger than bullets. No matter your thoughts, the most important point is that you exercise your right to vote freely and fairly.

The Department of Corrections has enjoyed unwavering support from the current administration in Florida. Crime rates are at a 30-year low and everyone in this department is a part of that important achievement. Law-abiding citizens everywhere owe you a tremendous debt of gratitude. Public service is the hallmark of our agency. Those who do not wish to serve and protect the public need not apply.

Hurricane Relief
I want to honor you all again for the outpouring of support during our hurricane recovery efforts. Those who work in corrections have always been close-knit and it is often said we are like a family. When our family members meet tragedy we feel it deeply and personally. I’m proud you have given so unselfishly of your time, money and prayers. There may still be some employees who are only just now realizing the extent of their devastation. We should continue to be responsive to those who still need assistance. We need to continue to look out for each other.

Reorganization
For the past eighteen months we have been working with an organizational structure that proved to be ineffective. After long discussions about what system would better suit our needs, we changed the organizational structure to reflect more clearly what has worked well in the past. The new organization may be familiar to many of you because this is a structure similar to ones we used for many years in the department. The new organizational chart can be found on our public web site: www.dc.state.fl.us/orginfo/orgchart.html