Last year, Florida did what many other states did to save money in a tight budget. They
closed prisons and other correctional facilities. But unlike other states that implemented
“smart on crime” reforms, Florida didn’t change the laws that imprison most people in the first place.
So the closures didn’t stick. Now, with projected increases in its
prison population over the next two years, the state’s Department of
Corrections is
seeking to re-open nine corrections facilities, including two prisons, two re-entry centers, and five work camps.
Work camps
are minimum to medium-security facilities where inmates are transferred
to complete their sentences while performing work assignments for the
prison or community.
Although Florida’s crime rate is at a 41-year low, the prison population
continues to grow,
with the largest increase coming from first-time drug offenders
ensnared by undercover agents, according to a recent analysis by the
state’s accountability office. Among those inmates are
John Horner,
who was sentenced to 25 years in prison for selling some of his own
pain pills to an undercover informant who befriended him. A recent
analysis by the state’s accountability office
called for more use of ligher-security remedies like supervision with GPS monitoring and probation.
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