Fresh Take Florida
Residents in Wakulla County in Florida’s Big Bend region are under mandatory orders to evacuate by 8 a.m. Thursday, but some inmates are being left behind.
The Wakulla County Sheriff’s Office said it has no plans to evacuate the jail. It has capacity for 350 inmates. A spokesperson said the jail isn’t full but couldn’t say exactly how many inmates were there Wednesday.
There are two state prison facilities in the county, the Wakulla Correctional Institution and its satellite, the Wakulla Correctional Institution Annex. Those prisons weren’t evacuated Wednesday. They can hold more than 2,500 prisons combined.
The Department of Corrections has already announced it had completed the evacuations of about 2,500 other inmates from 25 other prisons across 14 counties. It wasn’t immediately clear whether the Wakulla County prisons would be evacuated later, ahead of the hurricane making landfall.
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This story was produced by Fresh Take Florida, a news service of the University of Florida College of Journalism and Communications. The reporter can be reached at [email protected]
8 comments
Marshon L Traylor
September 26, 2024 at 7:13 pm
My son is there. Can I get some kind of update
Chel
September 27, 2024 at 12:24 am
My brother is there as well. They moved some of them to the new building but my brother said it’s pretty cram packed and some are being kept in the library. Prayers are being sent their way.
Yara
September 27, 2024 at 12:58 pm
A group of climate and racial justice activists are trying to go to Wakulla County tomorrow to learn more and speak out about this, probably through a video on social media. If any family members of incarcerated people in the prisons want to give input on our action, we could really use your feedback! You can reach me at [email protected]
Virginia Masters
September 27, 2024 at 9:30 am
This is cruel and unusual punishment! Prisoners are still people and there is a duty of care that falls on the state to ensure they are not injured or killed. The path of the storm looks as though it will be incredibly close if not over the facility, yet we’re just leaving them there? The inmates are being treated like animals. Desantis should be stripped of his title and position in office for many reasons, but this takes the cake for all of them!
Samantha
September 27, 2024 at 11:00 am
They are already treated like dogs from the correction officers daily and then society wonders why they get out and become repeat offenders. Florida has the most corrupt prison and legal system there is. There is zero rehabilitation with inmates. Putting human lives in danger makes Desantis the biggest criminal and gang member. This is inhumane and he has a responsibility to care for the HUMAN lives of these people.
Debra Saunders
September 27, 2024 at 12:12 pm
My son is in there where did they move him and well they bring him back they
Chelsa
September 28, 2024 at 1:03 am
if your son was moved to a different location, it should be updated on the DOC website.
Go here for more info and updates on the storm. https://www.fdc.myflorida.com/weather-updates
Chelsa
September 28, 2024 at 1:03 am
https://www.fdc.myflorida.com/weather-updates
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