Dominic CalabroCrime rates in Florida are at historically low levels, yet the Florida Department of Corrections (DOC) wants to reopen up to nine correctional facilities that were closed just last year.
Recently, the state Criminal Justice Estimating Conference projected an increase of nearly 2,000 prisoners in Florida by next year, even as crime rates continue to decline. Such an increase will cost taxpayers millions of dollars.
If crime rates are down, why are our state officials projecting such a large increase of prisoners? The answer lies in mandatory sentencing for one of the largest inmate populations in Florida — nonviolent drug offenders.
Florida law requires judges to send nonviolent drug offenders straight to prison for a mandatory minimum sentence. Granted, those who break the law should be punished. But, are Florida prisons the smartest place to send nonviolent offenders? What “lessons” do we teach these offenders?
Prisons are very expensive “crime colleges” where nonviolent drug offenders learn the crime trade from experts and don’t receive drug treatment.
Once an inmate is released from prison, there is a 26.7 percent chance that he will return to prison within three years. If Florida can prevent these nonviolent offenders from entering the prison system in the first place, the state would save millions of dollars.
Each prisoner costs nearly $18,000 annually to incarcerate. In a year where the Governor has requested that agencies slash their budgets by $100 million, DOC has requested an additional $124 million for the prison system in FY 2014-15. The savings realized from the prison system reforms and closures of 2012 will be lost if the Legislature agrees to open more prison facilities.
Money that Florida saved from closing those prisons went to pay for critical services, such as public schools, teacher salaries, higher education, senior services, core functions of government and investments in economic development.
Florida TaxWatch tries to improve the criminal justice system, making Florida communities safer and reducing overall criminal justice spending through the TaxWatch Center for Smart Justice. The Center’s research was a driving force for the criminal justice reforms that began in 2010, and its analysis calls for continued reform to a system that further indoctrinates prisoners into a life of crime and unnecessarily costs taxpayers tens of millions of dollars.
Re-opening prisons when Florida has a declining crime rate is the wrong direction for the state. Florida’s prison system already is one of the largest in the nation.
Instead of increasing incarceration, we should build on the reforms from 2012 and reduce our prison population. Florida can look to states like Texas and New York, which are saving millions of tax dollars by reducing inmate populations and closing prisons. And, they are doing so without increasing their crime rates! Sounds like smart justice.
To control state prison costs, Florida must address its sentencing requirements and enact other smart justice reforms that TaxWatch has recommended. It’s not too late for the Legislature to take the necessary steps to better MANAGE our state’s prison population and save money for taxpayers while improving their safety.
One comment
Terrie Fox
November 16, 2013 at 9:44 pm
Hello,
Your article does not mention the numerous violation of probation offenders who are serving prison time. Below is an example of wasted resources and time.
On April 13, 2012 my brother was arrested in Illinois. In August of 2012 my brother would have been done with his 5 years of probation that he received as a 19 year old for drug possession and burglary (all items were recovered). At that time he served 11 months in the county jail for that crime and the 5 years of probation. With 4 months left on his violation of probation you sentenced him to a Florida prison for 3 years 6 months and 11 days.
Scotty has already served time from April 13, 2012 to his sentencing in September before you, for the new crime committed. His violation of probation sentencing did not take into account his 4 months left on a 5 year term where he worked 2 jobs, paid rent, and basic living expenses. He has served his time for the new crime, lost his jobs, and had his car towed. This is punishment enough and now he is being punished with a sentence more than double what his sentence was in Illinois for the new crime. For a violation of probation which is what lead to his sentencing of 3 years 5 months 12 days. He has never harmed anyone but is currently at risk of being harmed. For 3 years 6 months 12 days you have sentenced him to sit in a for profit prison doing nothing and being around individuals who are doing life with nothing to lose. There has to be alternatives to a low risk nonviolent violation of probation other than putting them in an environment such as the prison industry in Florida.
I am asking, begging and pleading before something happens to him in the prison down there to please re sentence him. He does not deserve to be in prison for 3 years 6 months 12 days. There are numerous news articles and documentation about the abuse of prisoners done there. He is only 5ft 5 inches 115 pounds he has never hurt anyone.
Scottys law 3612 a person with less than a year of probation cannot be sentenced to more than what is left on the probation. For example; Scotty was already punished for his new crime in Illinois upon his time being up he was transported on the tax payer dollar to Florida to sit and await his sentencing where his violation of probation sentencing equals 3 years 6 months 12 days. This occurred 1 year and 1 month after his probation would have ended. At the time of the new crime he had 4 months left on probation, by enacting Scottys law 3612 he would only be required to serve the remaining 4 months behind bars. This does not exclude someone from being sentenced for their new crime.
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