The Florida Department of Corrections is balking at sending prisoners out of state to save money.

Lawmakers approved the practice, beginning July 1, but concerns over inmate rehabilitation and safety may halt the practice before it ever begins, according to the Capitol News Service.

Florida has just 5,000 empty prison cells and expects to need 19,000 more in coming years. In February, the state’s largest business lobby called for the release of some nonviolent offenders to save construction costs and tax dollars.

Lawmakers decided not to spend money on new prisons, but they also didn’t release any prisoners. Instead, they approved shipping inmates out of state or paying private prisons to lighten the load.

DOC fears inmates wouldn’t be rehabilitated if they were sent out of Florida, according to the news service.

The department says it will only move prisoners out of state as a last resort or if a major storm forces inmates to evacuate.