Florida Budget Proposal Would Fund $374M in Correctional Staff Raises

A budget proposal introduced by Florida Lt. Gov. Jay Collins would raise starting pay for Florida Department of Corrections officers and other staff from $22 an hour to $28 an hour. | Photo Credit: Florida Department of Corrections

What You Need to Know

• Florida’s proposed 2026-27 budget includes nearly $374 million for raises for Department of Corrections employees, Lt. Gov. Jay Collins said during a Feb. 9 visit to Santa Rosa Correctional Institution in Milton.
• Collins said the proposal would lift starting pay for correctional officers, probation officers and inspectors from $22 an hour to $28 an hour.
• He said Gov. Ron DeSantis is also seeking $56 million to hire 500 additional officers.
• The Legislature is assembling the 2026-27 budget now; the session is scheduled to end March 13, with the budget taking effect July 1.

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TALLAHASSEE, Fla. — Florida’s proposed 2026-27 budget could steer nearly $374 million toward pay raises for Department of Corrections employees, Lt. Gov. Jay Collins said during a Feb. 9 stop at Santa Rosa Correctional Institution in Milton.

Collins said the plan would increase starting wages for correctional officers, probation officers and inspectors from $22 an hour to $28 an hour, positioning the state to bolster staffing across one of the nation’s largest prison systems, which holds about 80,000 incarcerated individuals.

Collins used the Northwest Florida visit to highlight the governor’s budget priorities for corrections as lawmakers craft the spending plan for the fiscal year that begins July 1. DeSantis has line-item veto authority over the final budget.

“You are the front lines of public safety,” Collins told staff at the Milton facility, according to an article from the Pensacola News Journal.

Collins said the state’s justice system depends on secure correctional operations, from ensuring court-ordered sentences are carried out to supporting law enforcement, prosecutors and judges.

In addition to the proposed raises, Collins said the governor wants $56 million set aside to hire 500 new officers.

The article also said DeSantis outlined other corrections-related spending proposals in December 2025, including $56 million to replace aging prison infrastructure, $48 million to continue modernizing the Florida Department of Corrections’ data systems, and $18.8 million for security equipment such as body scanners and body-worn cameras.

“This will ensure our officers have the infrastructure necessary to manage inmate populations in safety for generations to come,” Collins said during the Santa Rosa visit.

Hope Gartman, the department’s assistant deputy secretary of institutions, said the proposed pay increases would extend beyond uniformed employees to include office staff and others who support operations.

“This is about more than pay. It’s about recognizing the importance of the mission and ensuring our workforce has the resources it needs to succeed,” Gartman said.

Santa Rosa Sgt. Joseph Hair said the work of the roughly 2,600 people inside the facility is largely unseen when operations run smoothly, but demands constant readiness.

“There are no slow days. We never know what each day will bring. It takes a full team to manage a facility this large,” Hair said.

Collins, a retired Army Green Beret and combat veteran, is running for governor as DeSantis is term-limited in January 2027, the article said. During the Milton trip, Collins also toured the Santa Rosa County Sheriff’s Office, where Sheriff Bob Johnson endorsed him. Collins is among several Republicans seeking the seat, including Byron Donalds, who is campaigning with an endorsement from President Donald Trump, the article said.

This article is based on reporting originally published by Pensacola News Journal and updated Feb. 9, 2026.