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                                                                  EXHIBIT 10.12


                          EXECUTIVE SEVERANCE AGREEMENT

         THIS EXECUTIVE SEVERANCE AGREEMENT ("Agreement") is made and entered
into as of this 17th day of March, 2000, by and between The Wackenhut
Corporation, a Florida corporation, its successor or successors, (hereinafter
referred to as the "Company") and Robert C. Kneip (hereinafter referred to as
the "Executive").

         The Executive is a key executive of the Company, and the Company
desires to provide the Executive with an incentive to remain with the Company if
concerns arise over a possible change in control.

         NOW, THEREFORE, in consideration of the premises and other good and
valuable consideration, the Company and the Executive agree as follows:

1.       TERMINATION OF EXECUTIVE EMPLOYMENT. If the Executive ceases to be
         employed by the Company for any reason (including the delivery of a
         written resignation to the Company by the Executive or his authorized
         representative on the Executive's or his estate's behalf) at any time
         during the 12 month period commencing on the date on which a Change in
         Control (as defined in Section 2 below) occurs, then (i) the Company
         shall pay the Special Termination Payment (as defined in Section 3
         below) to the Executive (or his estate) within ten days after said
         termination, (ii) all awards granted pursuant to The Wackenhut
         Corporation Employee Long-Term Incentive Stock Plan and any other
         unvested stock options or other interests the Executive holds in the
         Company's stock or the stock of a subsidiary of the Company shall
         become fully vested, all restrictions on restricted stock units shall
         lapse, and all performance targets with respect to performance units or
         shares will be deemed to have been met as of the date the Executive's
         employment is terminated, (iii) the Company shall transfer all of its
         interest in any automobile used by the Executive pursuant to The
         Wackenhut Corporation Executive Automobile Policy (the "Executive
         Automobile Policy") and shall pay the balance of any outstanding loans
         or leases on such automobile (whether such obligations are those of the
         Executive or the Company) so that the Executive owns the automobile
         outright (in the event such automobile is leased, the Company shall pay
         the residual cost of such lease), (iv) the Company shall pay to the
         Executive, within ten days after said termination, the present value of
         all cash payments pursuant to the Amended and Restated Deferred
         Compensation Agreement entered into between the Company and the
         Executive (the "Deferred Compensation Agreement") as if the Executive
         had remained employed with the Company through the Retirement Date
         defined therein (the "Deferred Compensation Payoff"), (v) the Company
         shall continue to provide the Executive (and if applicable, his
         beneficiaries) with the Executive Benefits (as described in Section 4),
         at no cost to the Executive in no less than the same amount and, on the
         same terms and conditions as in effect on the date on which the Change
         of Control occurs for a period of 3 years after the date of termination
         of the Executive's employment with the Company, regardless of the cost
         to the Company, or, alternatively, if the Executive (or his estate)
         elects at any time in a written notice delivered to the Company to
         waive any particular Executive Benefits, the Company shall make a cash
         payment to the Executive within ten days after receipt of such election
         in an amount equal to the present value of the Company's cost of
         providing such


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         Executive Benefits from the date of such election to the end of the
         foregoing 3-year period, and such present value shall be determined by
         reference to the Company's then-current cost levels and a discount rate
         equal to 120 percent of the short-term applicable Federal rate provided
         for in Section 1274(d) of the Internal Revenue Code (the "Code") for
         the month in which the Change in Control occurs; and (vi) the Company
         shall pay to the Executive, within 10 days after said termination, an
         amount equal to the sum of (a) the dollar value of vacation time that
         would have been credited to the Executive pursuant to the Company's
         Vacation Policy dated August 1, 1997, Number HR 350 (the "Vacation
         Policy") if the Executive had remained employed by the Company through
         the "Anniversary Date" (as defined in the Vacation Policy) immediately
         following his termination of employment, multiplied by a fraction, the
         numerator of which is the number of days which elapsed from the
         Executive's Anniversary Date immediately preceding the date of
         termination through the date of such termination, and the numerator of
         which is 365, plus (b) the dollar value of vacation time which the
         Executive was entitled to have taken immediately prior to the
         Executive's termination, which was not in fact taken by the Executive;
         the dollar value of vacation time referred to above shall be equal to
         the amount which would have been paid to the Executive by the Company
         during such vacation time had the vacation time in fact been taken by
         the Executive immediately prior to the Executive's termination. If the
         Executive dies during the 3-year period contemplated by clause (v) of
         the foregoing sentence, the Company shall provide the Executive
         Benefits, to the extent applicable, to the Executive's estate, or make
         any applicable cash payments in lieu thereof to said estate. The
         present value represented by the Deferred Compensation Payoff referred
         to above shall be calculated (i) using a discount rate equal to the
         lower of the rate provided for in Code Section 280G(d)(4), or six and
         one-half percent (6.5%), and (ii) without regard to any mortality
         factors or related probabilities. The Executive shall be deemed to be
         employed by the Company if the Executive is employed by the Company or
         any subsidiary of the Company in which the Company owns a majority of
         the subsidiary's voting securities. Notwithstanding anything else in
         this Agreement to the contrary, subsequent reemployment of the
         Executive by the Company or any successor of the Company following a
         Change in Control will not cause the Executive to forfeit any
         compensation or benefits provided in this Agreement.

2.       CHANGE IN CONTROL. For purposes of this Agreement, a "Change in
         Control" shall be deemed to have occurred as of the first day that any
         one or more of the following conditions shall have been satisfied:

                  (i) any "person" as such term is used in Section 13(d) and
         14(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, (the "Exchange Act")
         (other than members of the Controlling Shareholder Group, the Company,
         any trustee or other fiduciary holding securities under any employee
         benefit plan of the Company, or any company owned, directly or
         indirectly, by the shareholders of the Company in substantially the
         same proportions as their ownership of stock of the Company), is or
         becomes the "beneficial owner" (as defined in Rule 13d-3 under the
         Exchange Act), directly or indirectly, of securities of the Company
         representing 30% or more of the combined voting power of the Company's
         then outstanding securities;


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                  (ii) the shareholders of the Company approve a merger or
         consolidation of the Company with any other corporation or entity,
         OTHER THAN a merger or consolidation which would result in the voting
         securities of the Company outstanding immediately prior thereto
         continuing to represent (either by remaining outstanding or by being
         converted into voting securities of the surviving entity) more than 80%
         of the combined voting power of the voting securities of the Company or
         such surviving entity outstanding immediately after such merger or
         consolidation; or

                  (iii) the shareholders of the Company approve a plan of
         complete liquidation of the Company or an agreement for the sale or
         disposition by the Company of all or substantially all of the Company's
         assets; or

                  (iv) the total combined voting power of the Company (or any
         successor entity) represented by shares of voting stock owned by
         members of the Controlling Shareholder Group is reduced to 30 percent
         or less.

                  Notwithstanding the foregoing, in no event shall a Change in
         Control be deemed to have occurred, with respect to the Executive, if
         the Executive is part of a purchasing group which consummates a
         transaction causing a Change in Control. The Executive shall be deemed
         "part of a purchasing group" for purposes of the preceding sentence if
         the Executive is a direct or indirect equity participant in the
         purchasing company or group.

                  The "Controlling Shareholder Group" includes (i) George R.
         Wackenhut, (ii) the spouse and lineal descendants of George R.
         Wackenhut, (iii) any trust whose only beneficiaries are persons
         described in the foregoing clauses (i) and (ii), and (iv) Affiliates of
         the persons described in the foregoing clauses (i), (ii) and (iii). An
         "Affiliate" of a person includes only a corporation, limited liability
         company, partnership, or similar entity where all of the voting
         securities or ownership interests of said entity are directly owned by
         such person. A "person" includes any natural person and any
         corporation, limited liability company, partnership, trust or other
         entity.

3.       SPECIAL TERMINATION PAYMENT. For purposes of this Agreement, the
         "Special Termination Payment" shall mean an aggregate amount of money
         equal to the product of three (3) multiplied by the sum of the
         Executive's annual base salary as in effect at the time of the
         termination giving rise to the Special Termination Payment, or if
         greater the annual base salary in effect for the calendar year prior to
         the date of termination, plus the greater of (i) the annual bonus the
         Executive received during the preceding calendar year or (ii) the
         largest annual bonus the Executive would have received if his
         employment had not been terminated in the calendar year in which his
         employment was terminated assuming that all targets and incentives are
         met (regardless of actual results and criteria). In the event that the
         Company does not pay the Special Termination Payment by the due date
         specified in this Agreement, then the unpaid amount shall bear interest
         at the rate of 18 percent per annum, compounded monthly, until it is
         paid.



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         a.       EQUALIZATION PAYMENT. If any of the Special Termination
                  Payment will be subject to the tax (the "Excise Tax") imposed
                  by Section 4999 of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as
                  amended (the "Code") (or any similar tax that may hereafter be
                  imposed), the Company shall pay to the Executive in cash an
                  additional amount (the "Gross-Up Payment") such that the net
                  amount retained by the Executive after deduction from the
                  Special Termination Payment and the Gross-Up Payment of any
                  Excise Tax imposed upon the Special Termination Payment and
                  any federal, state and local income tax and Excise Tax imposed
                  upon the Gross-Up Payment shall be equal to the original
                  amount of the Special Termination Payment, prior to deduction
                  of any Excise Tax imposed with respect to the Special
                  Termination Payment. The Gross-Up Payment is intended to place
                  the Executive in the same economic position he would have been
                  in if the Excise Tax did not apply. The Gross-Up Payment shall
                  be paid to the Executive in full, at the time the Special
                  Termination Payment is paid pursuant to Section 1 hereof. For
                  purposes of determining the Gross-Up Payment pursuant to this
                  Section 3.a, the Special Termination Payment shall also
                  include any amounts which would be considered "Parachute
                  Payments" (within the meaning of Section 280G(b)(2) of the
                  Code) to the Executive, including, but not limited to, the
                  value of any Executive Benefits paid or provided to the
                  Executive during the period provided for in Code Section
                  280G(b)(2)(C).

         b.       TAX RATES. For purposes of determining the amount of the
                  Gross-Up Payment, the Executive shall be deemed to pay Federal
                  income taxes at the highest marginal rate of Federal income
                  taxation in the calendar year in which the Gross-Up Payment is
                  to be made, and state and local income taxes at the highest
                  marginal rate of taxation in the state and locality of the
                  Executive's residence on the date of termination, net of the
                  maximum reduction in Federal income taxes which could be
                  obtained from deduction of such state and local taxes.

         c.       TAX CALCULATION. Simultaneously with the Company's payment of
                  the Special Termination Payment, the Company shall deliver to
                  the Executive a written statement specifying the total amount
                  of the Special Termination Payment and the Gross-Up Payment,
                  together with all supporting calculations. If the Executive
                  disagrees with the Company's calculation of either of said
                  payments, the Executive shall submit to the Company, no later
                  than 30 days after receipt of the Company's calculations, a
                  written notice advising the Company of the disagreement and
                  setting forth his calculation of said payments. The
                  Executive's failure to submit such notice within such period
                  shall be conclusively deemed to be an agreement by the
                  Executive as to the amount of the Special Termination Payment
                  and the Gross-Up Payment. If the Company agrees with the
                  Executive's calculations, it shall pay any shortfall to the
                  Executive within 20 days after receipt of such a notice from
                  the Executive, together with interest thereon accruing at the
                  rate of 18 percent per annum, compounded monthly, from the
                  original due date of the Special Termination Payment through
                  the actual date of payment of said shortfall. If the Company
                  does not agree with the Executive's calculations, it shall
                  provide the Executive with a written notice within 20 days
                  after the receipt of the Executive's calculations


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                  advising the Executive that the disagreement is to be referred
                  to an independent accounting firm for resolution. Such
                  disagreement shall be referred to an independent "Big 5"
                  accounting firm which is not the regular accounting firm of
                  the Company and which is agreed to by the Company and the
                  Executive within 10 days after issuance of the Company's
                  notice of disagreement (if the parties cannot agree on the
                  identity of the accounting firm which is to resolve the
                  dispute, the accounting firm shall be selected by means of a
                  coin toss conducted in Palm Beach County, Florida by counsel
                  to the Executive on the first business day after such 10 day
                  period in such manner as such counsel may specify). The
                  accounting firm shall review all information provided to it by
                  the parties and submit a written report setting forth its
                  calculation of the Special Termination Payment and the
                  Gross-Up Payment within 15 days after submission of the matter
                  to it, and such decision shall be final and binding on all of
                  the parties. The fees and expenses charged by said accounting
                  firm shall be paid by the Company. If the amount of the
                  Special Termination Payment or Gross-Up Payment actually paid
                  by the Company was less than the amount calculated by the
                  accounting firm, the Company shall pay the shortfall to the
                  Executive within 5 days after the accounting firm submits its
                  written report, together with interest thereon accruing at the
                  rate of 18 percent per annum, compounded monthly, from the
                  original due date of the Special Termination Payment through
                  the actual date of payment of said shortfall.

         d.       SUBSEQUENT RECALCULATION. In the event the Internal Revenue
                  Service imposes an Excise Tax with respect to the Special
                  Termination Payment that is greater than the Excise Tax
                  calculated hereunder, the Company shall reimburse the
                  Executive for the full amount necessary to make the Executive
                  whole in accordance with the principles set forth above,
                  including any interest and penalties which may be imposed.

4.       EXECUTIVE BENEFITS. The term "Executive Benefits" means all health,
         dental, disability, life insurance, retirement and fringe benefits or
         programs now or hereafter established by the Company which cover the
         Company's executives or its employees, and applicable family members
         and which are in effect on the date on which a Change in Control
         occurs. The term "Executive Benefits" also includes, for purposes of
         Section 3, the value of the items provided for in clauses (ii) and
         (iii) of the first sentence in Section 1.

5.       NON-COMPETITION. In the event that Executive's employment is terminated
         pursuant to Section 1 hereof and Executive timely receives payment of
         the Special Termination Payment, Executive agrees that for a period of
         12 months after such termination of employment not to, directly or
         indirectly, own, manage, operate, control or participate in the
         ownership, management operation or control of, or be connected as an
         officer, employee, partner, director or otherwise with, or have any
         financial interest in, or aid or assist anyone else in the conduct of,
         any business (a "Competitive Operation") which competes with any
         business conducted by the Company, or by any group, division or
         subsidiary of the Company for which the Executive has had
         responsibility, in any area where such business is being conducted at
         the time of such termination. It is understood and agreed that, for the
         purposes of the foregoing provisions of this Section 5, no business
         which is conducted by the


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         Company at the time of the Executive's termination and which
         subsequently is sold or discontinued by the Company shall be deemed to
         be a Competitive Operation within the meaning of this Section 5.
         Ownership of an amount not to exceed five percent (5%) of the voting
         stock of any publicly held corporation shall not constitute a violation
         hereof.

6.       RELEASE AND INDEMNITY. The Company hereby fully and forever releases,
         acquits, discharges and holds the Executive harmless from any and all,
         and all manner of, actions and causes of action, claims, suits, costs,
         debts, sums of money, claims and demands, presently known or unknown,
         whatsoever in law or equity or otherwise, which the Company ever had,
         now has or may now have, or will have in the future, by reason of any
         matter, cause or thing whatsoever, from the beginning of the world and
         all times thereafter. The preceding sentence does not apply to any
         matters, events, actions, claims, damages or losses arising from, in
         connection with or relating to (i) any intentional illegal conduct of
         the Executive, or (ii) conduct of the Executive after the Executive
         ceases to be employed by the Company. The Company at all times shall
         indemnify, save harmless and reimburse the Executive, from and against
         any and all demands, claims, liabilities, losses, actions, suits or
         proceedings, or other expenses, fees, or charges of any character or
         nature, which the Executive may incur or with which they may be
         threatened with, arising from, in connection with, relating to or
         arising as a result of Executive's employment by the Company or any
         other relationship that the Executive has with the Company as an
         officer, director, agent shareholder or otherwise, including without
         limitation settlement costs and attorneys' fees and court costs at
         trial and appellate levels which the Executive may incur in connection
         with settling, defending against or resisting any of the foregoing. The
         Company shall pay to the Executive any amounts due with respect to said
         indemnity within 5 business days after the Executive issues a written
         demand therefor to the Company. The provisions of this section are an
         expansion of any rights that the Executive may have with respect to the
         subject matter, and no other agreement or arrangement which the Company
         may have that benefits the Executive with respect to the subject matter
         hereof shall be superseded or limited in any way as a result of the
         parties entering into this Agreement.

7.       NOTICES. Notices and all other communications contemplated by this
         Agreement shall be in writing and shall be deemed to have been duly
         given when received at the address specified herein. In the case of
         Executive, notices shall be delivered to him at the home address which
         he has most recently communicated to the Company in writing. In the
         case of the Company, notices shall be delivered to the Company's
         corporate headquarters, and all notices shall be directed to the
         attention of the Company's Chief Executive Officer, with a copy to the
         Company's General Counsel.

8.       NO MITIGATION. Executive shall not be required to mitigate the amount
         of any payment or benefit contemplated by this Agreement upon his
         termination of employment (whether by seeking new employment or in any
         other manner), nor shall any such payment or benefit be reduced by any
         earnings or benefits that Executive may receive from any other source.

9.       MODIFICATION AND WAIVER. This Agreement shall not be canceled,
         rescinded or revoked, nor may any provision of this Agreement be
         modified, waived or discharged unless the


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         cancellation, rescission, revocation, modification, waiver or discharge
         is agreed to in writing and signed by Executive and by the President or
         Chairman of the Board of the Company. No waiver by either party of any
         breach of, or of compliance with, any condition or provision of this
         Agreement by the other party shall be considered a waiver of any other
         condition or provision or of the same condition or provision at another
         time.

10.      COMPLETE AGREEMENT. This Agreement supersedes all previous severance
         agreements entered into by Executive and the Company. Except as
         specifically provided in Section 1 of this Agreement, this Agreement
         does not affect any deferred compensation agreements, non-qualified
         retirement plans, or any other agreements entered into by the parties.

11.      NO ASSIGNMENT. No right, benefit or interest hereunder, shall be
         subject to anticipation, alienation, sale, assignment, encumbrance,
         charge, pledge, hypothecation, or set-off in respect of any claim, debt
         or obligation, or to execution, attachment, levy or similar process, or
         assignment by operation of law. Any attempt, voluntary or involuntary,
         to effect any action specified in the immediately preceding sentence
         shall, to the full extent permitted by law, be null, void and of no
         effect. This Agreement is binding on all successors of the Company,
         whether by merger, consolidation, purchase or otherwise, and all
         references to the Company shall also include references to any such
         successor.

12.      GOVERNING LAW. This Agreement shall be governed by, and construed and
         enforced in accordance with and subject to, the laws of the State of
         Florida applicable to Agreements made and to be performed entirely
         within such State, as to all matters governed by state law or, if
         controlling, by applicable federal law.

13.      SEVERABILITY. The invalidity or unenforceability of any provision or
         provisions of this Agreement shall not affect the validity or
         enforceability of any other provision hereof, which shall remain in
         full force and effect.

14.      LITIGATION; VENUE. Any action at law or in equity under this Agreement
         shall be brought in the courts of Palm Beach County, Florida, and in no
         other court (whether or not jurisdiction can be established in another
         court). Each party hereto waives the right to argue that venue is not
         appropriate in the courts of Palm Beach County, Florida.

15.      EXPENSES. The Company shall reimburse the Executive for all legal
         and/or accounting expenses he incurs in connection with the execution,
         delivery and enforcement of his rights under this Agreement.

16.      WITHHOLDING. All payments made pursuant to this Agreement will be
         subject to withholding of applicable taxes.

17.      COUNTERPARTS. This Agreement may be executed in one or more
         counterparts, each of which shall be deemed to be an original but all
         of which together will constitute one and the same instrument.


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         IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the parties have executed this Executive Severance
Agreement effective the 17th day of March, 2000.

SIGNED, SEALED AND DELIVERED                 EXECUTIVE:
IN THE PRESENCE OF:

/s/ Dorothy A. Roberts                       /s/ Robert C. Kneip
------------------------------               ----------------------------------
PRINT NAME OF WITNESS BELOW:                 Robert C. Kneip

Dorothy A. Roberts
------------------------------               Date: 3/17/00
                                                  -----------------------------

/s/ Pamela C. Burroughs
------------------------------
PRINT NAME OF WITNESS BELOW:

Pamela C. Burroughs
------------------------------


                                             THE WACKENHUT CORPORATION

/s/ Patricia Delinois                        By: /s/ R. R. Wackenhut
-------------------------------                  ------------------------------
PRINT NAME OF WITNESS BELOW:

Patricia Delinois
-------------------------------                Name:  Richard R. Wackenhut
                                               Title:    President and Chief
                                                         Executive Officer

/s/ J.C. Tissot                                 Date: 3/17/00
-------------------------------                 -------------------------------
PRINT NAME OF WITNESS BELOW:

J.C. Tissot
-------------------------------

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