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Florida Prisons Chief Launches Reform Efforts
August 21, 2014
Florida Department of Corrections Secretary Michael Crews is proposing a handful of prison reforms in the aftermath of reports about a mentally ill inmate who died after being placed in a scalding-hot shower.
“Stories report we have fallen short in specific instances with regard to facility leadership, safety, security, training and services for mentally ill inmates. We’re fixing the problems that have been identified and as we identify new issues, we will fix those too. Our department should be held to the highest standards, and I have zero tolerance for anything less,” said Crews, who announced the changes Wednesday morning at Everglades Correctional Institution.
For mentally ill inmates, the department will expand crisis-intervention training for prison guards, create two re-entry centers and explore a pilot case-management system. Crews is also handing over 82 open investigations into prison deaths — all the result of non-natural causes — to the Florida Department of Law Enforcement.
The secretary also pledged to put “releasable information” regarding inmate deaths, including cases that are still under investigation, online within the next 30 days. The department also will clarify its disciplinary procedures for guards who break the law.
Crews and the agency have been under fire since a series of stories this summer by The Miami Herald revealed details about the 2012 death of inmate Darren Rainey at the Dade Correctional Institution.
“As we reviewed case files and penalties for improper acts, it became clear to me that we have not been applying a uniform standard by which to hold ourselves accountable. The lack of consistent consequences for the same crime had the potential for undermining the culture of professionalism that is necessary for running institutions with integrity,” Crews said.
Comments
8 Responses to “Florida Prisons Chief Launches Reform Efforts”
No one knows for a fact that the inmate died from being scalded to death. The coroner never released the autopsy report, even to the FDC. In the event that foul play was present in the report I am certain all involved will be prosecuted.
well said David.
By the way, you can avoid prison by not committing criminal acts.
If you do not avoid prison, fellow inmates may not be your only danger.
REGARDING:
“I don’t see where it says that officers put the inmate in a scalding shower – was that the case? If so, I hope they have been fired and are being prosecuted.”
From:
http://www.miamiherald.com/2014/07/21/4247793/emails-show-coverup-of-miami-dade.html
“Rainey, 50, was serving a two-year sentence for drug possession. He suffered from severe mental illness and was housed in DCI’s psych unit. Prison officials admit that he was forced into the shower the night of June 23, 2012, and left in the small stall for almost two hours.
“While guards who placed him there claimed he was checked “periodically,” other inmates have said the guards turned up the temperature as far as they could, and corrections officers allegedly taunted Rainey and walked away as he screamed in pain. He finally collapsed and died, his skin so scalded that chunks of his flesh had fallen off his body. Afterward, one inmate claimed he was ordered to clean up the site.
“Other inmates, as well as sources inside the prison, have told the Herald that the particular shower that Rainey was in was specially rigged so that the guards could use it as a form of punishment. In Rainey’s case, two guards allegedly forced him into it because he had defecated in his cell.”
AND
“On Thursday, DOC Secretary Michael Crews fired the warden, Jerry Cummings, and announced that the two corrections officers involved in Rainey’s death had resigned. Cornelius Thompson left earlier this year to take a job with the federal prison system; and Roland Clarke resigned July 3.”
David for better than this
Why are these two CO’s not being charged for this mans death? Just because he was an inmate does not lessen the fact that these two CO’s allowed a man to be scalded to death. If anyone of us civilians would have locked someone in a shower and allowed them to be scalded to death, we would be facing murder charges an so should the two CO’s who allowed this to happen. Seems to me negligent homicide would be appropriate in this case. I know i will be calling the sheriff in the county this incident to place and the Department of Correction to demand that charges be brought against these two CO’s who knew this guy was being burned alive with scalding hot water. No one deserves to be treated this way, inmate or not, this was cruel.
@No Excuses, The corrections officers placed this guy in a small shower and left them there for two hours, he screamed about the scalding water and they laughed at him. When they returned he was dead. While the warden was terminated, officers associated with the incident were actually promoted. Later I read two of the officers involved in the incident resigned, but to my knowledge no one has been charged in this inmates death. Which is disturbing.
I don’t see where it says that officers put the inmate in a scalding shower – was that the case? If so, I hope they have been fired and are being prosecuted. If it was other inmates, who was watching the area at the time?
“Scalding hot shower”? That is criminal behavior on the part of the officers. What needs to changed except that the officers should be prosecuted? We have laws on the books.