Evers’ Prison Overhaul Bill Gains Traction In Florida Senate

February 17, 2015

The Senate Criminal Justice Committee gave a preliminary nod to a corrections overhaul that would make it easier for inmates to file complaints, create new penalties for rogue guards who abuse prisoners and establish a governor-appointed commission to oversee prisons and investigate wrongdoing.

The proposal (SPB 7020), sponsored by committee Chairman Greg Evers, R-Baker, would also allow inmates’ families or lawyers to pay for an independent medical evaluation and would expand opportunities for old or sick inmates to get out of prison early.

And the measure would require each prison to track use of force incidents and the Department of Corrections to post an annual report documenting those incidents on its website.

Department of Corrections Secretary Julie Jones called the measure, which still has several committee stops before heading to the floor and so far lacks a House companion, a “work in progress” but said she is “cautiously optimistic” so far.

“Sen. Evers has taken a bold approach to trying to fix the problems that he sees,” Jones said after appearing before the panel on Monday.

The embattled corrections agency is grappling with state probes of questionable inmate deaths, lawsuits from investigators who claim they were retaliated against after exposing a cover-up of the death of an inmate who died at a Panhandle prison after being gassed by noxious chemicals, and complaints about dangerously low staffing levels at dozens of state-run facilities.

Jones, who took over the agency last month as the fourth secretary in as many years, is also scrutinizing contracts with private vendors who took over health care services for the state’s 100,000 inmates last year.

“We look forward to reinventing this agency,” Jones told the committee before Monday’s vote.

Evers, whose North Florida district includes three prisons and numerous work camps, has made surprise visits to several institutions and, on Monday, peppered Jones with questions about a 1996 report that found that low pay and understaffing were the top reasons for turnover in the department.

Jones identified those issues as among the top concerns of prison staff based on surveys she is now conducting nearly 20 years later.

“What was amazing about this is in 1996 in virtue we had the same problems we have today,” Evers said.

Jones told the committee she is establishing “issues teams” made up of rank-and-file workers who will be tasked with coming up with solutions to the concerns expressed in the surveys.

“Things come in waves. You fix a problem and it comes back up again if you don’t attend to it over time. I think that’s what’s happened. The difference between what the chairman talked about in 1996 and what we’re doing today are those issue teams,” Jones told The News Service of Florida later. “You can survey employees all day long and take the information and when you put it in a report and put on the shelf, you haven’t done anything with it. We are going to do good things with everything that our employees are telling us and to the best of our ability implement new ideas and change processes.”

One of the first items the “issue teams” will address is uniforms, Jones said in the interview.

“They hate the uniforms. The quality. How well they wear in the summer. They’re not equipped for outside posts in the winter time. The uniform piece is a quality-of-life issue. You will find that all of our teams are going to be related to mission, values and culture,” she said.

Evers included the oversight commission in his bill at the request of Sen. Rob Bradley, a Fleming Island Republican and former prosecutor. The commission — made up of a sheriff, a state attorney, a public defender, a clergy member, a community leader and a business leader — would have subpoena powers and be able to open investigations.

The commission’s primary purpose is “to ensure the safe and effective operation of our prison system,” Bradley said.

“Real reform in this area will only be achieved if we finally change the accountability system that’s in place for corrections,” he said.

Jones, however, told The News Service she is more interested in a commission that would offer recommendations but not have as much power as what was included in the bill on Monday.

“I’m very interested in a commission that’s going to look at sentencing reforming and delve into who comes into prison to begin with. That’s going to be very valuable to me. I’m hoping that the commission morphs a little bit in its charge” to include prison reforms known as Smart Justice, Jones said.

by Dara Kam, The News Service of Florida

Comments

9 Responses to “Evers’ Prison Overhaul Bill Gains Traction In Florida Senate”

  1. Ponch on February 19th, 2015 1:28 am

    @chris

    You think because you served a little time that you know how EVERY prison in the state is ran and you know ALL correctional officers beat inmates all day, every day. You’ve seen this and you’ve seen that. Give it a rest already. Prison is not dangerous for correctional officers? Prison is dangerous for EVERYONE who is there. ALL staff and ALL inmates. You know why? BECAUSE IT IS PRISON. Just because it doesn’t look like Pelican Bay or Attica, doesn’t mean it’s not dangerous. There is danger (I, know-probably a CO waiting to beat you, right?) around every corner.

    @D

    Honest officers are no more the minority than a model inmate is, so, that goes both ways. I don’t think ANYONE should be beaten or abused, but unfortunately, that happens to both staff and inmates. Prison is not a nice place-go figure.

  2. chris in Molino on February 18th, 2015 6:34 pm

    @Amazed
    I’m Amazed at your ignorance. Yes, Sgt. Thomas was killed in Lake City. The First homicide of a gaurd since 2003 when a trainee officer was escorting 4 inmates (at night) who had life sentances as part of the plumbing crew. And im sorry, Colonel Malloy was killed by a civilian suspect while helping sheriff’s deputies with prison K-9’s. I’ve witnessed far more assualts by gaurds on inmates (100 to 1) so kerp your ill informed knowledge to yourself. Yea, maybe Century was a little dangerous during the heroin explosion in 94-95 when Inspector Russo shipped 3 bus loads out at 3am. Since then it’s a kiddy camp.

  3. Amazed on February 17th, 2015 10:02 pm

    I have never posted on a story on this site. But Chris’s comments could not have shocked me more. Prison is not dangerous for correctional officers? Do you honestly believe that? Tell that to the sergeant who was beaten to death in a dorm two years ago. Or the colonel who was killed trying to recapture an escaped inmate. Or the hundreds of officers who still put on a uniform after being assaulted. I have a good friend who was severely beaten by an inmate just under two years ago and she was 8 weeks pregnant at the time. Guess what, she still puts on a uniform. Say what you want about the politics, but keep your expertise on what is safe and what is not.

  4. molino jim on February 17th, 2015 8:58 pm

    @Crist- I base my statement on conversations with medical personnel at CCI and others. I agree that an inmate should not be mistreated— but I question the concern for someone who has violated the law. It is easy to stay out of jail/prison if you follow the law. Inmate/ inmate violence is hard to control– but some times the CO’s have no real choose but to let the inmates have control. Cut backs have cause much stress on inmates and CO’s. We can spend money on studies but not on personnel– what is wrong with this picture?

  5. D on February 17th, 2015 12:41 pm

    I spent 8 eight years incarcerated. In that time I never saw one officer injured. I did however witness dozens of inmates beaten, and abused in various ways by corrections officers. I met some really honest officers who were good people. Unfortunately, they were the minority. Even the honest ones knew when to keep their mouths shut. Just because someone is incarcerated doesn’t mean they should be beaten or abused!

  6. chris in Molino on February 17th, 2015 8:39 am

    You people are so ignorant to whats really going on. You take what the news says as gospel. Oh, and Yankee Jim, the gaurds are not in danger. Florida prison has not been a dangerous place for gaurds in almost 20 years. Inmates are dollar signs, period.

  7. molino jim on February 17th, 2015 7:30 am

    It sure is nice that Evers wants to make life better for inmates. How about helping the CO’s and other prison personnel who are in danger due to cut backs. I guess the inmates are more important to him. But what the heck Greg’s our man.

  8. Justsaying on February 17th, 2015 6:58 am

    If uniforms are her first priority then undoubtedly she did not look under any of those big ol rugs that the administrations keep sweeping things under. Maybe that is why Rick Scott chose someone with no clue about prison security or law enforcement. I give her 6 months till she is either forced out or overwhelmed.

  9. charlie on February 17th, 2015 4:03 am

    It seems to me that evers and the other politicians want to turn “prison” into a boy scout camp. These are criminals, tried and convicted. They are there for a reason, not a vacation.

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