Melissa S. Razdrih
Otis Miller, a Florida inmate, was beaten by officers, the act, caught on camera. This week, Florida’s Democratic legislative leaders respond.
Miller made headlines earlier this month after a video went viral on YouTube from inside Lake Correctional Institute near Clermont in Lake County.
The video, which was filmed by another inmate with a contraband cell phone, showed Miller being held on the ground outside, surrounded by officers. A few of them were beating him repeatedly over minutes.
The inmate filming made comments suggesting that he had been witnessing the beating for five minutes or longer and that he thought the officers could kill Miller.
Miller survived the attack and was transferred to another prison, according to the Florida Department of Corrections. To date, three officers have been arrested in connection with the crime of malicious battery, including Capt. Milton Gass.
On Saturday, Democratic Reps. Susan Valdes, of Tampa, Dianne Hart, of Tampa, and Anika Omphroy, of Sunrise, responded by embarking on a 5-hour visit to the facility.
The Representatives met with the prison officials at Lake Correctional and via phone, including the Warden, Assistant Warden, Inspector General, Director of Prisons and Secretary Mark Inch.
Hart said of the visit:
“After seeing the video, I knew I had to act, so I and the other representatives drove to Lake Correctional and requested to see Mr. Miller … This is happening throughout the state of Florida and this upcoming legislative session I plan on sponsoring meaningful prison reform legislation.”
Hart has been on 26 prison visits, according to a news release.
The incarceration rate in Florida is 720 people per every 100,000, per the Florida Policy Institute, and that’s higher than the national average.
The non-profit organization also suggests high incarceration rates produce a number of negative effects for Florida constituents.
These include an increased chance of poverty among families where the breadwinner is incarcerated, limited educational opportunities for those families, limited career opportunities for incarcerated individuals and a budgetary strain on the state, as a whole.
In June, Gov. Ron DeSantis signed a large criminal justice reform package that included raising minimum limits for felony theft, among other reforms.
However, critics of HB 7125 believe greater reform is needed to fix systemic problems in the Florida justice system that impact people like Miller every day.
4 comments
Anecia
July 28, 2019 at 10:53 pm
It’s just not right. If that inmate hadnt had that cell phone “contraband” and recorded the incident the officers would have gotten away with it which is the case 99.9% of the time.
Jessica
July 29, 2019 at 11:48 pm
You are right! Its horrible! My brother was beaten at Lake City C.I on june 22nd 2019 by a different Captain and C.O..
Gemma
July 31, 2019 at 6:35 am
You are ABSOLUTELY right. The same happen to my son at Lake they dissapeared him a Severely Mentally ill due to the beatings and I was denied visits for 10 months. I filed a complaint and IG Long found. No wrongdoing. My sons ankles were bleeding. He was released after 10 yrs and is presently very Delusional at a State Mental Hosp. major Lee from Lake and De Gass. Officer Harris and officer Rodriguez are witnesses. evryone covered up. In their statement they said my son beat an officer. He was given ghosts trays. No food and No meds. Have any of the news Contact me. [email protected]. I sent all this info to Mr. Inch. Has he contacted me? No.
Jessica R Lassoued
July 29, 2019 at 11:46 pm
My brother was also beaten at Lake County Correctional Institute on the 22nd of June 2019 and thrown in confinement. A captain and a correctional officer hit him with three nurses and another correctional officer watching the entire thing. They put him in confinement with. No medical care. I called and called for 6 days and there was no reason given to me as to why he was in confinement. His Classifications officer told me there was no D.R pending. NO incident report either. He was released 10 days later in which i took him straight to the E.R. He has multiple fractures in his face and needs reconstructive surgery. Had a meeting with the G.I office in Tallahassee on july 12th and made a report. The captain, the c.o’s and the nurses are still working at Lake City C.I. Otis Miller is not the only one – Just a different Caption.
Comments are closed.