FL S1278

Expands the authority of Department of Corrections Inspector General law enforcement officers to conduct criminal investigations and make arrests at contractor-operated correctional facilities, including arrests of facility staff, contract employees, subcontractors, and volunteers for criminal law violations involving matters under department jurisdiction

Renames "private correctional facility" to "contractor-operated correctional facility" and "private correctional officer" to "contractor-employed correctional officer" throughout Florida statutes, with conforming changes across more than 40 statutory sections

Establishes that correctional privatization contracts under chapter 957 are not exempt from chapter 287 competitive solicitation requirements unless otherwise specified, while clarifying that such contracts are not considered outsourcing under s. 287.012

Eliminates the Prison Per-Diem Workgroup, which had been responsible for developing consensus per diem rates for privately operated prisons at the request of legislative leadership

Removes the provision that stripped the department of authority over appropriated funds for contractor-operated facilities beyond certifying payments to vendors, effectively giving the department greater financial oversight of these contracts