Mainstreet Daily News
The Florida Department of Corrections (FDC) announced Wednesday incentives to become a state correctional officer that include hiring bonuses up to $5,000.
“As so many cities and states choose to disrespect, degrade and defund the work of law enforcement, we want Florida to continue valuing our men and women of law enforcement today, tomorrow and for generations to come,” Governor Ron DeSantis said in a press release. “This year, we have prioritized initiatives to recruit and reward high quality officers, especially corrections officers, and these new bonuses, effective immediately, will help support public safety positions within the Florida Department of Corrections.”
Effective immediately new bonus offered, detailed below:
- $3,000 new hire bonus for all new correctional officers
- $1,000 hiring bonus for correctional officers to join high vacancy institutions
- $1,000 hiring bonus for certified correctional officer applicants
And beginning in January, the starting salary for state correctional officers will be raised to $38,750, an increase of 16 percent.
In addition to an increase in correctional officer salary, all current state correctional officers will receive a one-time $1,500 bonus, and state probation officers will receive a $3,000 bonus December 2021.
The initiative comes a week after DeSantis proposed a $600 million education budget increase to raise minimum teacher salaries, award bonuses to teachers and principals, and raise per-student spending, and the Florida Department of Health awarded $481 million to 103 wastewater and springs projects throughout the state.