Frequently Asked Questions
- Does my money support inmates or inmate programs?
- Can anyone be a member or are you required to be a DC employee?
- I’m a contractor for the Department of Corrections. Can I join the Foundation?
- Why is financial assistance limited to DC employees?
- I’m an employee of the Department of Corrections. How do I request assistance?
- What is your administrative investment and where does it go?
- How can I be sure the funds I donate are properly used?
- I donate less than $1 per pay period. Am I a member?
Does my money support inmates or inmate programs?
Absolutely not! Each program has its own designated funding source. Memberhship dues soley benefit the Employee Assistance Program and your fellow officers and employees.
Can anyone be a member or are you required to be a DC employee?
Anyone can join the Corrections Foundation. Membership is open to anyone who wishes to join. However, financial assistance through the Employee Assistance Program is limited to DC employees. OPS employees are eligible to join and benefit from membership, too.
I’m a contractor for the Department of Corrections. Can I join the Foundation?
Certainly! You can oin the Foundation and welcome your membership. However, contract employees are currently not eligible for financial assistance through the Employee Assistance Program.
Why is financial assistance limite to DC employees?
The Corrections Foundation is established by state law (FS 944.802). This law sets up the Foundation to benefit the Department of Corrections and its employees.
I’m an employee of the Department of Corrections. How do I request assistance?
Please make sure you review the criteria and procedure to receive assistance to make sure you are eligible.
Each request is evaluated by Foundation staff and Foundation staff and the Foundation’s Executive Board has final authority to approve or deny any request.
What is your administrative investment and where does it go?
A full 90 cents of each payroll deduction dollar goes to support Employee Assistance Programs. The ten cents goes to support administrative items such as salary and office supplies. In addition, the ten cents enables Foundation staff to seek additional funding outside the Department. The funds raised from these efforts exceed the total amount deducted, thus making it a wise and thoughftul investment.
How can I be sure the funds I donate are properly used?
Funds from DC payroll deduction are put into a seperate account and utilized only for the Employee Assistance Program. All expenditures are documented and receipts and authorizations are required.
The Corrections Foundation has a finance committee and an executive committee that reviews and oversees financial procedures of the Foundation.
In addition, the two senior officers in the Corrections Foundation – the President and Vice President – are not DC employees.
Each year an audit is performed by a Tallahassee-based accounting firm. The audit is performed with auditing standards generally accepted in the United States of America and the standards applicable to financial audits contained in Government Auditing Standards, issued by the Comptroller General of the United States.
The result of that audit and other documents are available for inspection by members of the Foundation by contacting the Corrections Foundation at 850-717-3712 or by e-mail at dawkins.nicholas@mail.dc.state.fl.us.
I donate less than $1 per pay period. Am I a member?
No. The minimum donation to be considered a member is $1 and has been since 2004. We have taken the step of cancelling the donation of those who contribute less than a $1 so there is no one who mistakes a donation of less than $1 as a member. Anyone who has paid less than $1 is not considered a member and does not qualify for benefits, including Casual Friday or the full amount of assistance in crises situations.
There is no “grandfathering” or otherwise any exception to this.
