2021
OFFENDER POPULATION JUNE 30, 2021
INMATES: 80,495
SUPERVISED: 144,279
INMATES: 80,495
SUPERVISED: 144,279
The Department implements a COVID-19 vaccination program to ensure that all inmates and staff are provided the opportunity to be vaccinated, and rolls out antibody therapy to significantly improve patient outcomes. In addition, FDC continues mitigation protocols including enhanced cleaning, random temperature checks and quarantine, when indicated. Staff also continues to purchase PPE equipment to include gloves, COVID-19 tests, gowns, and staff also procured 350 emergency bunks and 100 temperature kiosks.
SECRETARY INCH RECAPS THE LAST FEW YEARS
AND LAYS OUT HIS VISION FOR THE FUTURE
When I arrived in Florida in January 2019, it became immediately apparent that the Florida Department of Corrections was in systemic crisis. Years of prudent risk-taking, of asking the Department to do with less to address other state priorities and economic realities had taken its toll. These funding realities, coupled with a decision to adopt 12-hour shifts for Correctional Officers in 2012, placed the Department in a downward spiral. I introduced Florida’s political leadership to the book, “The Devil’s Butcher Shop,” as an example and a cautionary account of the potential future that awaited if we did not work to reverse the trends. Our risk was and is real.
Florida’s leadership listened. With the attention Governor DeSantis placed on FDC’s resourcing and the fiscal response of the legislature, the Fiscal Year 2020-21 budget set us on a clear path to recovery. The crisis of collapse began to recede. Then came COVID-19.
The pandemic has been hard on our Department. Only through the dedication and sacrifice of our professional staff, and the general cooperation of the inmate and offender population, have we kept our fragile Department from collapse. Throughout most of the pandemic, we have had a sizable amount of staff out of work at any given time, in addition to several thousand vacancies.
We have adjusted operations and programs and suspended visitation and volunteers to minimize the spread of the disease, to keep from overwhelming the healthcare system, and save lives. Those decisions have slowed our recovery. On a multi-year effort, we are persevering and have weathered what we hope is the worst of the storm. We also recognize the effects of COVID-19 have extended beyond our Department, and they are not over yet.
FDC's mission-critical priorities for the coming year will be:
- Recruitment, and reducing staff attrition and vacancy rates, partly by continuing FDC’s transition from 12-hour shifts to 8.5 hour shifts;
- Reducing inmate violence, addiction and idleness through expanded treatment and programming;
- Working with communities, civic leaders and volunteers to encourage reentry for inmates and offenders; and
- Continuing to upgrade and modernize FDC's infrastructure (facilities, fleet, and information technology.
STAFFING
January – In an effort to fill vacancies, the FDC launches its most aggressive hiring campaign yet. It entails:
- Offering $3,000 hiring bonus to new COs and $1,000 hiring bonuses for returning certified security staff.
- Offering $1,000 hiring bonuses at CIs with 10% or more staff vacancy rate.
- Increasing rate of pay to $38,750 for COs and CO trainees.
- Providing a $1,500 retention bonus to COs and a $3,000 retention bonus to CPOs.
- In accordance with HB 7057, lowered the hiring age from 19 to 18 in 2019, resulting in 95 COs hired and trained.
- Contacting over 16,000 separated staff in good standing to detail new pay structure and available bonuses.
- Launching newly re-designed FLDOC jobs site as part of overall recruitment strategy.
Shift changes continue, and the FDC converts 17 additional CIs from 12-hour shifts to 8.5-hour shifts. FDC has now successfully converted 34 of its 50 major CIs from 12-hour shifts to 8.5-hour shifts.
As of November 5, 2021, CPOs conducted more than 340,000 contacts with offenders in the community. They also conducted approximately 134,000 residence walkthroughs, 38,000 curfew checks and 5,500 warrantless planned searches. As of November 8, 2021, CPOs collected approximately $64 million from offenders, including: $37 million in restitution, fines and court costs; $17 million in the cost of supervision; and $10 million in subsistence and other court-ordered fees, which is deposited into Florida’s General Revenue Fund.
The 074 St. Augustine probation office partnered with St. Johns County Sheriff's Office to complete a planned compliance initiative focused on ensuring sex offender compliance. At the conclusion of the initiative, five offenders were found noncompliant and were taken into custody.
An admendment to FDC's routine mail rule (33-201.101, Florida Administrative Code) is adopted to transition incoming mail to an electronic scanning process that will reduce the introduction of contraband and dangerous drugs such as fentanyl and suboxone into prisons.
FDC prioritizes preventing and reporting instances of sexual abuse in its facilities as outlined in the Prison Rape Elimination Act (PREA). The PREA standards include 43 standards that define three clear goals: preventing, detecting and responding to sexual abuse. FDC’s accountability is measured by outside auditors to ensure compliance. As of June 30, 2021, 37 facilities, including privately managed CIs, have met the standards established by the U.S. Department of Justice. In addition, many CIs have exceeded the standards as documented in the final audit report and posted to the FDC’s public webpage. PREA was created to eliminate sexual abuse in confinement facilities, including adult prisons and jails, lockups, community confinement facilities and juvenile facilities.
The Canine Interdiction Unit performs over 2,000 canine search operations at CIs statewide and recovers: 93,559 grams of tobacco; 21,623 grams of narcotics; 1,570 cellphones; 924 weapons; and, $1,558 in U.S. Currency.
FDC invests $5.8 million in facility maintenance projects across the state.
“State Fitness Challenge” is a six-month competition between inmates (representing their respective CIs) to compete in several exercises including pushups, pull ups, squats, running events, and longest plank. The competition is designed to see who is the most fit and to encourage weight loss.
The new Inmate Education Worker (IEW) training program trains inmates to be certified peer tutors and Inmate Tutor Assistants (ITAs). CI staff trained 311 peer tutors (29 female and 282 male) and 31 ITAs (6 female and 25 male). As of October 31, 2021, 621 IEWs are assigned to education programs.
As of October 31, 2021, FDC has awarded 1,059 GEDs for the calendar year. Increased emphasis on identifying and testing GED qualified inmates during the reception process results in 62 GEDs awarded before inmates transferred to their permanent CIs. An initiative to enroll all Title I eligible inmates in academic or career and technical education (CTE) programs results in 1,273 Title I students enrolled in academic programs and 198 Title I students enrolled in CTE programs.
Security Threat Intelligence Unit staff are awarded “Correctional Gang Unit of the Year” and an FDC Analyst is the recipient of the “President’s Award” at the 2021 Florida Gang Investigator’s Association (FGIA) Conference.
A lawsuit filed by inmates in 2017 alleging that FDC is failing to provide appropriate Hepatitis C treatment is resolved in July.
CPOs are now able to use Mobile Electronic Monitoring Visits when they make contact with an offender on electronic monitoring. Through this technology, officers can scan the electronic monitoring equipment, then enter case notes through their mobile devices. The case notes are then transferred to the Department’s database. This feature allows for the elimination of approximately 11,000 manual case note entries per month.
SECRETARY INCH RETIRES
November - Secretary Inch announces his retirement after three years as Secretary. His last official day will be December 31, 2021. Though his tenure was relatively short, he set in motion several goals that are achieved in the coming years.
“The loss of Mark Inch as the Secretary of the @FL_Corrections is a huge loss for the State, the corrections officers, those incarcerated, and their loved ones. He is one of the hardest working, knowledgeable, and most honorable people I have ever worked with. Godspeed General,” Florida Senator Jeff Brandes, via Twitter.
This year, nine CIs receive national reaccreditation by ACA. These CIs meet all mandatory standards with 100% compliance and exceed 97% for non-mandatory standards. Community Corrections completes reaccreditation by ACA, achieving 100% in all mandatory and non-mandatory standards.
Community Corrections expands the Basic Recruit Academy to five different locations, thus allowing recruits shorter wait times to start their training. The majority of the academies are now done in-house, which reduces the overall costs per recruit.
The recidivism rate for inmates drops to 21.2% (for inmates who were released in 2018), meaning for those inmates who were released in 2018, 21.2% of them returned to a Florida state prison within a three-year period.
There are no executions in 2021.
