Florida Department of Corrections
Encyclopedia
The Florida Department of Corrections, established in 1821, operates state prisons in Florida. It has its headquarters in Tallahassee.
The Florida Department of Corrections operates the third largest state prison system in the United States
. It is the largest agency in the State of Florida, with a budget of $2.3 billion, nearly 104,000 inmates incarcerated and another 150,000+ offenders on some type of community supervision.
The Florida Department of Corrections has 146 facilities statewide, including 62 prisons, 45 work/forestry camps, one treatment center, 33 work release centers and five road prisons. It has more than 28,000 employees, about three-quarters of which are either certified correctional officers or probation officer
s.
in 1868.
and Union Correctional Institution
each have a male death row, while Lowell Annex has the female death row. Florida State Prison houses the state's execution chamber. Unlike other prisoners, condemned prisoners wear orange T-shirts. Condemned prisoners wear the same blue trousers worn by other prisoners.
When Lowell Correctional Institution
opened in 1956 as the Florida Correctional Institution, it housed the female death row. The prison now known as Florida State Prison opened in 1961 as the East Annex; at the time of opening it began to house the execution chamber.
At some point the Broward Correctional Institution
housed female death row inmates. Lowell Annex opened in April 2002. The female death row was moved to Lowell Annex in February 2003.
At one time the agency had its headquarters at 2601 Blair Stone Road in Tallahassee.
In 2010, there was a 10-count federal indictment
against sixteen individuals connected with the FDC, eleven of whom were corrections officers at the Glades Correctional Institution. The charges included "nine counts of attempting to possess cocaine
with intent to distribute." The indictment alleges that the defendants "allegedly agreed to transport and did in fact transport on multiple occasions what they believed to be multi-kilo quantities of cocaine from the undercover warehouses in Miami-Dade County to locations in West Palm Beach." and that the defendants allegedly received a combined total of $145,000 through the drug scheme.
In 2006, the death of Martin Anderson at a facility operated by the Bay County
Sheriff's Office. drew a broad outcry accusing the camp guards of racially-motivated
murder
, in part in response to an official videotape
that showed the guards using physical coercion
. The Florida legislature voted to close the state's five juvenile boot camps.
The state is facing lawsuits
alleging "excessive as well as "malicious and sadistic" use of pepper spray
," and "that its prisons subject too many inmates, including the mentally ill, to a prisoner 'warehousing' culture of unlawfully extreme isolation and deprivation, usually with little or no rehabilitation efforts to prevent recidivism
."
In 2010, two correctional officers at the Lancaster Correctional Institution were charged with malicious battery and cruel or inhumane punishment after an inmate collapsed in the exercise yard during routine drills. An investigation discovered that the correctional officers forced the inmate to perform strenuous exercises in the sand, heat and provided no water breaks while denying his request for medical help and failed to call for emergency help after the inmate collapsed. The inmate was in critical condition, but has since recovered.
The Florida Department of Corrections operates the third largest state prison system in the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. It is the largest agency in the State of Florida, with a budget of $2.3 billion, nearly 104,000 inmates incarcerated and another 150,000+ offenders on some type of community supervision.
The Florida Department of Corrections has 146 facilities statewide, including 62 prisons, 45 work/forestry camps, one treatment center, 33 work release centers and five road prisons. It has more than 28,000 employees, about three-quarters of which are either certified correctional officers or probation officer
Probation officer
Parole officers and probation officers play a role in criminal justice systems by supervising offenders released from incarceration or sentenced to non-custodial sanctions such as community service...
s.
History
Florida's first penitentiary was opened in the U.S. arsenal property at ChattahoocheeChattahoochee, Florida
Chattahoochee is a city in Gadsden County, Florida, United States. The population was 3,287 at the 2000 census. According to the U.S Census estimates of 2005, the city had a population of 3,720. It is part of the Tallahassee, Florida Metropolitan Statistical Area.-Geography:Chattahoochee is...
in 1868.
Death row
Florida State PrisonFlorida State Prison
Florida State Prison , formerly known as the Union Correctional Institution—East Unit, is a correctional institution located in unincorporated Bradford County, Florida. It is located on Florida State Road 16 right across the border from Union County. The institution opened in 1961, even though...
and Union Correctional Institution
Union Correctional Institution
Union Correctional Institution, formerly referred to as “Florida State Prison”, “Raiford Prison” and “State Prison Farm” is located in unincorporated Union County, Florida, near Raiford. Opened in 1913, the prison underwent large scale renovation and restructure in 1961 splitting into the present...
each have a male death row, while Lowell Annex has the female death row. Florida State Prison houses the state's execution chamber. Unlike other prisoners, condemned prisoners wear orange T-shirts. Condemned prisoners wear the same blue trousers worn by other prisoners.
When Lowell Correctional Institution
Lowell Correctional Institution
Lowell Correctional Institution located in unincorporated Marion County, Florida, near Ocala, was the first Florida prison for women. It was opened in April 1956 as the Florida Correctional Institution. It houses community, minimum, medium, and close custody inmates. At the time it was opened,...
opened in 1956 as the Florida Correctional Institution, it housed the female death row. The prison now known as Florida State Prison opened in 1961 as the East Annex; at the time of opening it began to house the execution chamber.
At some point the Broward Correctional Institution
Broward Correctional Institution
The Broward Correctional Institution is a correctional facility located in the former Country Estates CDP and in Southwest Ranches, Florida, operated by the Florida Department of Corrections. The Region IV Correctional Facility Office is located on the grounds of Broward Correctional Institution in...
housed female death row inmates. Lowell Annex opened in April 2002. The female death row was moved to Lowell Annex in February 2003.
Juveniles
The state houses between 250-300 inmates under the age of 17 at various state prisons during any given time, with the majority spending their time at the Indian River Correctional Institution. The budget was $240 million. This was $109 to $155 per day per offender.Budget
It costs on average $19,469 per year to incarcerate an inmate in Florida. This includes $2.32 per day for 2,800 calorie meals.Headquarters
The headquarters of the agency are in the Doyle Carlton Building in downtown Tallahassee. Some offices are in the Southwood Office Complex in Tallahassee. Starting sometime after March 22, 2011, the department moved into its current headquarters and office buildings.At one time the agency had its headquarters at 2601 Blair Stone Road in Tallahassee.
Fallen officers
Since the establishment of the Florida Department of Corrections, 24 officers have died in the line of duty.2011 Budget Cuts
In first quarter 2011, the state of Florida announced the closing of 6 institutions in order to save up to $30 million. Three prisons, two bootcamps, and a road prison will be closed. Brevard Correctional Institution, which is a youthful offender prison, Lowell Boot Camp, a youthful offender female boot camp, Sumter Basic Training Unit, a youthful offender male boot camp, Hendry Correctional Institution, the female prison Hillsborough Correctional Institution, and Tallahassee Road Prison are the institutions that will be closed. No inmates will be released as a result of the closing, and the employees of the closing institutions will be offered jobs at other prisons. The institutions began moving inmates on April 1st, 2011, and has finished as of June 30th, 2011.Instances of abuse
There have been several recorded cases of corruption and prisoner abuse in the Florida Department of Corrections.In 2010, there was a 10-count federal indictment
Indictment
An indictment , in the common-law legal system, is a formal accusation that a person has committed a crime. In jurisdictions that maintain the concept of felonies, the serious criminal offence is a felony; jurisdictions that lack the concept of felonies often use that of an indictable offence—an...
against sixteen individuals connected with the FDC, eleven of whom were corrections officers at the Glades Correctional Institution. The charges included "nine counts of attempting to possess cocaine
Cocaine
Cocaine is a crystalline tropane alkaloid that is obtained from the leaves of the coca plant. The name comes from "coca" in addition to the alkaloid suffix -ine, forming cocaine. It is a stimulant of the central nervous system, an appetite suppressant, and a topical anesthetic...
with intent to distribute." The indictment alleges that the defendants "allegedly agreed to transport and did in fact transport on multiple occasions what they believed to be multi-kilo quantities of cocaine from the undercover warehouses in Miami-Dade County to locations in West Palm Beach." and that the defendants allegedly received a combined total of $145,000 through the drug scheme.
In 2006, the death of Martin Anderson at a facility operated by the Bay County
Bay County, Florida
Bay County is a county located in the U.S. state of Florida. The U.S. Census Bureau 2006 estimate for the county is 163,505 . Its county seat is Panama City, Florida. The county is best known for its white sand beaches and crystal blue water, where large pods of dolphins swim year-round...
Sheriff's Office. drew a broad outcry accusing the camp guards of racially-motivated
Institutional racism
Institutional racism describes any kind of system of inequality based on race. It can occur in institutions such as public government bodies, private business corporations , and universities . The term was coined by Black Power activist Stokely Carmichael in the late 1960s...
murder
Murder
Murder is the unlawful killing, with malice aforethought, of another human being, and generally this state of mind distinguishes murder from other forms of unlawful homicide...
, in part in response to an official videotape
Videotape
A videotape is a recording of images and sounds on to magnetic tape as opposed to film stock or random access digital media. Videotapes are also used for storing scientific or medical data, such as the data produced by an electrocardiogram...
that showed the guards using physical coercion
Coercion
Coercion is the practice of forcing another party to behave in an involuntary manner by use of threats or intimidation or some other form of pressure or force. In law, coercion is codified as the duress crime. Such actions are used as leverage, to force the victim to act in the desired way...
. The Florida legislature voted to close the state's five juvenile boot camps.
The state is facing lawsuits
Lawsuit
A lawsuit or "suit in law" is a civil action brought in a court of law in which a plaintiff, a party who claims to have incurred loss as a result of a defendant's actions, demands a legal or equitable remedy. The defendant is required to respond to the plaintiff's complaint...
alleging "excessive as well as "malicious and sadistic" use of pepper spray
Pepper spray
Pepper spray, also known as OC spray , OC gas, and capsicum spray, is a lachrymatory agent that is used in riot control, crowd control and personal self-defense, including defense against dogs and bears...
," and "that its prisons subject too many inmates, including the mentally ill, to a prisoner 'warehousing' culture of unlawfully extreme isolation and deprivation, usually with little or no rehabilitation efforts to prevent recidivism
Recidivism
Recidivism is the act of a person repeating an undesirable behavior after they have either experienced negative consequences of that behavior, or have been treated or trained to extinguish that behavior...
."
In 2010, two correctional officers at the Lancaster Correctional Institution were charged with malicious battery and cruel or inhumane punishment after an inmate collapsed in the exercise yard during routine drills. An investigation discovered that the correctional officers forced the inmate to perform strenuous exercises in the sand, heat and provided no water breaks while denying his request for medical help and failed to call for emergency help after the inmate collapsed. The inmate was in critical condition, but has since recovered.
See also
- List of Florida state prisons
- List of law enforcement agencies in Florida
- Florida State PrisonFlorida State PrisonFlorida State Prison , formerly known as the Union Correctional Institution—East Unit, is a correctional institution located in unincorporated Bradford County, Florida. It is located on Florida State Road 16 right across the border from Union County. The institution opened in 1961, even though...