ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. — A new report on the future of the Florida Department of Corrections (FDC), the third-largest state prison system in the country, says $2.2 billion is needed to address immediate needs.
The Florida Department of Management Services selected KPMG in October 2022 to develop a 20-year master plan for the Florida Department of Corrections.
When the ABC Action News I-Team launched its series more than two years ago, then-State Senator Jeff Brandes (R-St. Petersburg) called out what he described as a "crisis in corrections."
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“The Department of Corrections is in collapse," Brandes said at the time. “The problem is, when you have a prison crisis, it can lead to terrible, terrible outcomes.”
The I-Team caught up with Brandes, the founder and president of Florida Policy Project, who pushed for the creation of the master plan for Florida's state prison system and said the longer lawmakers put these issues off, the worse it will get.
“Considering the state spent about $700 million just last year on affordable housing for the entire state, we need almost three times that just for immediate needs inside the Department of Corrections," Brandes said. "It really speaks to the decades of deferred maintenance that the state has done or not done on these facilities, and how bad things have gotten inside.”
In the 134-page report, it says, "FDC should be commended for its exceptional dedication and resourcefulness amidst adversity, showcasing the organization's ability to consistently achieve its mission objectives despite facing many resourcing and funding challenges. FDC’s well-organized environment has delivered an impressive safety record; however, effective leadership only slows the high risks associated with deteriorating infrastructure and high staff vacancies, meaning that FDC leadership unto themselves cannot mitigate their current challenges in perpetuity. This situation is characterized by four key factors: 1) Forecasted inmate population is growing. 2) Immediate modernization needs are present. 3) Persistent staff vacancies and turnover. 4) Security and safety risks. Firstly, the forecasted inmate population is projected to potentially surpass the total capacity over the next two fiscal years if no action is taken".
Shortage of health care staff in Florida prisons increases danger
The I-Team asked Brandes how to get people to care about state prisons when they may have no direct connection to the system.
"The key function of government is to provide public safety. And when you have a prison system that’s falling apart, literally in front of us, and cannot be staffed appropriately, that has a direct impact on public safety. And so what we’re seeing is these individuals coming into the prison system, they’re living in essentially terrible conditions, you know, barely habitable in some cases, they’re understaffed, it creates a dangerous environment for them, and then they’re released without education, without services, without the mental health services that they’re required or addiction services, and they’re put right back on the streets with 50 bucks and a bus pass. And then we’re shocked that they’re committing new crimes. So the system isn’t correcting behavior, it’s just warehousing people for the term of their incarceration," Brandes said. "When you’re seeing facilities, multiple facilities with 60%, 70% vacancy rates, I mean, I think that speaks to both the danger of public safety for the inmates and for the officers that work there.”
FDC puts out assault advisories every week, but only when a correctional officer is assaulted. Not an inmate.
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The I-Team was the first to reveal a video from inside a state prison in the panhandle in February, showing an inmate being assaulted by a correctional officer. The rare look inside came through the lens of a contraband cell phone.
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Hamilton Correctional Institution, where it happened, has a staffing vacancy rate of 49%, according to the master plan. While pay increases have started to impact staffing levels, the report said the vacancy rates "remain significantly high," competing with higher wages for positions at county jails.
"We still have 400 National Guard men and women serving in the prison system because we can’t adequately staff them today. That number may only grow in the future. People didn’t sign up for the National Guard to be prison guards. And so they have to understand this isn’t a long-term, sustainable solution. At the end of the day, we’re holding the prison system together with spit and chewing gum," Brandes said.
The I-Team emailed the Department of Corrections multiple times over the past week to get its take on the master plan. The I-Team is still awaiting a response.
