1997

OFFENDER POPULATION JUNE 30, 1997:
INMATES: 64,713
SUPERVISED: 142,911

Wakulla Correctional Institution (Crawfordville, FL), Lake City Correctional Facility (a private facility in Lake City, FL), Lowell Correctional Institution's Women's Boot Camp and South Bay Correctional Facility (a private facility in South Bay, FL) open.

The Global Positioning Satellite system (GPS) is introduced to track by satellite the movement and location of offenders in "real time."

Florida takes the unprecedented step of providing public access to inmate records using the Internet, becoming the first agency in the nation, and possibly in the world, to do so when the Inmate Release Information Search is launched on October 1, 1997. A new server and web address (http://www.dc.state.fl.us) are also implemented. (Earlier, the FDC website received national recognition when MicroSoft selected it as an outstanding justice site in June 1997.)

Click here to hear Secretary Singletary talk about his philosophy to try new things, from computer innovations to precast cells.

In response to the Public Safety Information Act of 1997, procedures are implemented to photograph sex offenders/predators and add their addresses to the Department's mainframe database. The sex offender information and digital photograph is transferred electronically to the Florida Department of Law Enforcement (FDLE) and posted on the Internet for public access.

The Department of Corrections assists Florida movie director Victor Nunez in the production of the award-winning Ulee's Gold which premiers in 1997.

Probation and Parole Services pilots the new risk classification system in the Fifth and Thirteenth Judicial circuits, which allows the department to concentrate its time and resources on the highest risk offenders, providing a higher degree of safety to the public.

Probation officers' case contacts are automated via computer, allowing all staff to have access to supervision progress.

More than 4,000 Correctional Probation Officers and staff supervise over 141,000 offenders. Correctional Probation Officers collect the following fees from offenders, when applicable: cost of supervision fees, victim restitution and court fines and costs. Correctional Probation Officers also conduct more than 250,000 investigations each year, including pre- and post-sentence investigations. Payments collected during FY 1996-97 total $72,008,855.

Bradenton Therapeutic Drug Treatment Community, one of four demonstration sites for a Federal Bureau of Justice Assistance Grant, opens. The Drug Treatment Community is an intermediate-sanction prison-diversion program for substance-abuse offenders.

The average percentage of sentence served by inmates released as of June 30 is 72.1%, a seven percentage point increase from the previous year.

1998

OFFENDER POPULATION JUNE 30, 1998:
INMATES: 66,280
SUPERVISED: 144,733

Florida becomes the first to place records and photos for current population inmates on the Internet when the Inmate Population Information Search is launched March 1, 1998. The Escaped Inmate Information Search is released later that month. The site receives national recognition and awards from Yahoo (Pick of the Week), Excite (USA Today Hot Site) and Lycos (Top 5% of the Web). Two years later, the Department launches additional searches.

Probation and Parole Services implements the new risk classification system in eight judicial circuits. The new system allows Community Supervision staff to identify and concentrate resources on the offenders who pose the highest risk to the community.

Sentencing scoresheet audits continue and reveal a less than three percent error rate statewide on score sheet data entry in critical areas.

The Foundation for Partnerships in Correctional Excellence (later renamed Corrections Foundation, Inc.) becomes an integral part of the FDC family. The Foundation is the not-for-profit direct support organization (DSO) for the Florida Department of Corrections and supports the programs, personnel, and services of the department through grants, contributions, and community partnerships.

Over 4,000 Correctional Probation Officers and staff supervise more than 144,000 offenders. Correctional Probation Officers collect the following fees from offenders, when applicable: cost of supervision fees, victim restitution and court fines and costs. Payments collected during FY 1997-98 total $78,062,829. Correctional Probation Officers also conduct more than 260,000 investigations each year, including pre- and post-sentence investigations.

On November 12, 1998 a Memorial is dedicated to correctional and probation officers killed in the line of duty and to those who died while on duty. It is located near Woodville, Florida, in front of the Wakulla C.I. Training building. "Lest we forget, let us pause to remember those corrections employees who have given the ultimate sacrifice for public safety. Let us all be encouraged as we remember and honor their legacy of commitment, dedication, and service. For it is written: There is no greater love than this: that a man lay down his life for his friends."

During the Memoral dedication ceremony, Secretary Harry K. Singletary said "Today's story is a part of our history that may be forgotten if we do not honor those who have sacrificed all. This is knowledge which must be shared and passed on for posterity. We need to know the price of duty is personal sacrifice." He went on to say: "Many times, public safety requires us to make life and death decisions, often in the blink of an eye."

The average percentage of sentence served by inmates released as of June 30 is 74.0%, which is more than double the percentage of their sentences that inmates released in 1992 were serving.