As he looks ahead to his final year in Tallahassee, on Friday, Gov. Rick Scott said he will fight for raising the pay of juvenile detention and juvenile probation officers in his last budget proposal.
Scott said he would include $8 million in his budget proposal for a 10 percent pay raise for these juvenile justice system officers. Currently, there are more than 2,000 Floridians working as juvenile detention and juvenile probation officers. Scott’s budget proposal also includes $30 million for pay raises in state law enforcement agencies.
The governor made his case for his proposed pay raise on Friday morning.
“Over the past six and a half years, we have taken aggressive steps to reform Florida’s juvenile justice system,” Scott said. “Today, I’m proud to announce that as part of my upcoming recommended budget, I will be proposing an $8 million investment for the Florida Department of Juvenile Justice (DJJ) to use as a 10 percent pay raise for the recruitment and retention of detention and probation officers.
“Florida’s juvenile detention and probation officers have the important responsibility of working with youth in DJJ care, but they also have the unique opportunity to help change lives and redirect our youth to a successful path,” Scott added. “I look forward to working with the Legislature during the upcoming session to pass this 10 percent pay raise, which will ensure DJJ can hire highly qualified and dedicated detention and probation officers to help our youth and keep our communities safe for years to come.”
Florida DJJ Sec. Christina Daly supported Scott’s proposal.
“I am extremely proud of the thousands of staff who come to work every day to change the lives of the youth and families we serve and the dedication they put forth in ensuring our communities are safer places to live, work and play,” Daly said. “Governor Scott’s commitment to making Florida a leader in juvenile justice began on the first day of his administration and continues today, and I cannot thank him enough for his recognition of the importance of dedicating resources for the recruitment and retention of committed, high-quality employees.”
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