UPDATE: Scott administration moves forward with prison privatization despite court ruling
by Dara Kam | November 3rd, 2011UPDATE: Tallahassee Circuit Judge Jackie Fulford will hold a hearing at 4:30 p.m. today on the privatization lawsuit. The Florida Police Benevolent Association is asking for an emergency stay to stop the procurement process.
Gov. Rick Scott‘s administration has re-opened bids on privatizating prisons in an 18-county region in southern Florida despite a recent court ruling that the way lawmakers ordered the privatization plan is unconstitutional.
Scott opted not to appeal. But Attorney General Pam Bondi on Monday filed an appeal on behalf of the legislature challenging Tallahassee Circuit Judge Jackie Fulford’s ruling. That appeal opened the door for state Department of Corrections officials to re-open the bids, Department of Corrections officials said in a press release issued late Thursday.
Bids will be due within a week but because of the ongoing court battle “the agency will not sign a contract until the litigation is complete,” the release said.
The Florida Police Benevolent Association, which filed the lawsuit, intends to ask the First District Court of Appeals for an expedited hearing and is asking Fulford to reinstate the stay on the bids she previously ordered.
Boca Raton-based GEO Group is one of the contenders for the privatization plan intended to cost the state 7 percent less than what the department is currently spending on the region’s 29 prisons and other correctional operations.
Read the corrections department press release after the jump.
“On September 30, 2011, the Circuit Court for the Second Judicial Circuit entered an order declaring unconstitutional budget Provisio language requiring the Department of Corrections to privatize Region IV and enjoining the Department from taking further steps to implement the privatization procurement. On Monday, October 31, 2011, the Attorney General’s Office filed an appeal, which had the effect of staying the Circuit Court’s Order in accordance with Rule 9.310(b)(2), Florida Rules of Appellate Procedure.
“Therefore, in order to comply with the now operative Proviso language, the Department has reopened the procurement process with proposals due Thursday, November 10, 2011, at 2:00 p.m. The Department will evaluate the proposals. However, out of respect for the ongoing litigation, the agency will not sign a contract until the litigation is complete.”
Tags: Department of Corrections, Pam Bondi, prison privatization, prisons, Rick Scott
November 3rd, 2011 at 6:13 pm
This clown thinks that he can make up his own rules and ignore those of the courts. What a crook and con man with no regard to the people.
November 3rd, 2011 at 9:14 pm
Alexander, Haridopolos, and Governor Scott obviously will do anything for the private prison companies. And we wonder why citizens are mad as heck at politicians and big corporations.
November 3rd, 2011 at 9:33 pm
Why didn’t Gov Scott, Senator Rubio, and At. General Bondi go to the Florida Tea Party Convention this weekend? They all declined the invitation. Wonder why? Are they concentrating and working on the prison privatization this weekend?
November 4th, 2011 at 2:40 am
THIS IS AN OUTRAGE!
What we have is a Soviet Union style takeover by corporate thugs of public facilities to procure profit for greedy businessmen too lazy to open real businesses.
Scott should be recalled and its time for OCCUPY TALLAHASSEE to stop this thief from doing to us what he did to medicare – STEAL IT BLIND!
November 4th, 2011 at 5:40 am
Skeletor laughs at laws. He violates them with ease. Even his former company Solantic won’t stay in the same state with him at the helm. No private company should ever be given the right to imprison American citizens. They will starve them to make more profit. I hope there is a hell for Scott and his ilk to go to. And I hope they get there soon.
November 4th, 2011 at 5:41 am
It seems incredible that this can happen in these times.
Thanks for the post.
November 4th, 2011 at 6:53 am
Follow the money. GEO and CCA. Lobbyists $ to politicians. Tax dollars to lobbying companies. Back to retiring ploiticians/consultants. Round and round we go.
November 4th, 2011 at 9:58 am
Isn’t the GOVERNOR supposed to follow the law? This guy seems to think he is ABOVE the law. I’m angry at the voters who bought his lies just because he had an “R” by his name….
November 4th, 2011 at 11:05 am
The age of Gulag Inc. has arrived. Read all about it in a new book. Rick Scott:Enemy of the State
http://www.amazon.com/Rick-Scott-Enemy-Terrible-ebook/dp/B0062TDR1M/ref=sr_
November 4th, 2011 at 12:05 pm
Buy your stock now in GEO and CCA because its evident the Florida goverment is not going stop until all prisons in Florida are private.
Chapters 957.07 and 944.714 of the Florida statutes,require continuation of privatization of prison facilities to depend primarily on
documented cost savings to the state.
It’s all about the money!
November 4th, 2011 at 3:44 pm
Pride before the fall.
November 4th, 2011 at 10:35 pm
Rick Scott showed his contempt for the law by ripping off medicare for millions of dollars, so what can we expect from this thug? (And Pam Bondi is his puppet.) Law enforcement, fire fighters, teachers and other state employees who voted for this joker and his hacks need to make a big change in 2012. Scott obviously intends to punish this group but, in the end, he will lose big time. November 2012 can’t come fast enough!
November 6th, 2011 at 8:16 am
Wow , the KOCH BROTHERS sure answered that phone call from Rick the CROOK fast !! Pam Bondi your a sell out to the people as well, have fun spending the fraud money your being paid with !
November 6th, 2011 at 9:42 am
So what’s new. Rick Scott never had any respect for the law, otherwise his company wouldn’t have ripped off taxpayers money by committing medicare and medicaid fraud. Why would he listen to a judge’s ruling now. All you LOSERS who voted in this criminal should be publicly flogged. Find out the real reason his Solantic company is leaving Florida. RICK THE SLICK, WHERE ARE THE 700,000 JOBS!
November 6th, 2011 at 11:42 am
When you fail to obey a Court Order, it’s called CONTEMPT! It means you have CONTEMPT for the power of the Court. And that CONTEMPT can land you in JAIL.
So, who is going to JAIL?????
November 7th, 2011 at 5:47 pm
Thank you to the Tea Party for this wonderful gift that keeps on giving! No, we haven’t forgotten that he’s your guy! You say you want small government, yet you elected a bunch of corporate shills. So we all get more government by corporate rule. Great job! Great judgement!You have zero credibility. Go find a new hobby.