The Florida Department of Corrections on Friday announced that, in addition to the six members of its staff that were terminated Thursday, an additional seven were dismissed under the department's new employee discipline policy.
Five employees of Lancaster Correctional Institution (officer Earl Short, officer Stephen Nygard, officer Julious Riley, Sgt. Robert La Puma and Sgt. Brittain Williams) were dismissed for battery on an inmate.
Officer Houston Biddle, of Okaloosa Correctional Institution, was dismissed for a DUI arrest, and officer Glen Gordon, of Desoto, was dismissed for an arrest for operating a motor vehicle with a suspended/cancelled/revoked driver's license.
Last week, the Department of Corrections announced a strict zero-tolerance policy for employee misconduct, and Department of Corrections Secretary Mike Crews sent a memo to all employees.
Department of Corrections employees who commit a criminal act will immediately be placed on administrative leave, and the department will initiate disciplinary action for their dismissal.
Crews announced that he plans to visit all 49 Department of Corrections institutions to emphasize the seriousness of the new policy and to deliver his expectations for transparency, accountability and professionalism.
"The action we have taken this week makes it clear that we will not tolerate inappropriate behavior or criminal activity by our staff," Crews said in a statement. "Our staff should be held to the highest standards, and the zero-tolerance policy that we have put in place ensures that anyone who fails to do the right thing will no longer work for this agency. We value our culture of professionalism and integrity, and we will not let the bad actions of a few undermine and tarnish the reputations of all the hard-working men and women in our department. Enforcement of our new discipline policy is a critical step in ensuring that happens."