Florida’s Guard to continue at prisons

Gov. Ron DeSantis has extended an executive order to continue using members of the Florida National Guard to help with staffing shortages at state prisons.

DeSantis in September issued an order activating National Guard members to work at prisons, but that order is scheduled to expire Friday. DeSantis last week issued a six-month extension.

The prison system has grappled for years with staffing shortages and high turnover. The extension, which DeSantis signed Friday, said the Department of Corrections has “experienced improved hiring trends and the vacancy rate for correctional officers has decreased.”

But it said the continued use of National Guard members is “necessary because ongoing staffing shortages, although much improved, continue to threaten the safety of officers, inmates and the public.”