Florida Politics - Campaigns & Elections. Lobbying & Government.

Peter SchorschSeptember 27, 2016

Bridges of America and the Department of Corrections are at it again. As Florida Politics’ Jim Rosica reported Monday, Bridges and the DOC are once more warring over transitional programs for the state’s inmates. This isn’t the first time Lori Costantino-Brown, president and chief executive officer of Bridges of America, and Corrections Secretary Julie Jones had a high-profile scuffle. A […]

Larry GriffinSeptember 26, 2016

A group of state and local elected officials, as well as reformed ex-prisoners who know firsthand what the Bridges of America Orlando Transition Center can do, appeared Monday morning to protest the possible closing of the center by the Florida Department of Corrections. The center is being considered for closure due to what Bridges of […]

Jim RosicaSeptember 26, 2016

The state’s Department of Corrections and Bridges of America, an Orlando-based nonprofit, are once more warring over transitional programs for the state’s inmates. On Monday morning, Bridges representatives and supporters say they will rally at the organization’s Orlando Transition Center “to respond to (DOC’s) plans to shut the center down,” the group said. Lori Constantino-Brown, president […]

Guest AuthorMay 18, 2016

I believe in second chances. It’s what I do. Everyone, including my late father, makes mistakes. Some of those mistakes, like my father’s mistakes, mean prison time. That’s why every year the Florida Department of Corrections releases about 30,000 men and women from prison. But for the vast majority of them, it doesn’t include a […]

Jim RosicaMay 11, 2016

The battle over Broward Bridge is over. The state’s Department of Corrections and Bridges of America announced a settlement Wednesday afternoon. The state had been planning to pull the plug on Broward Bridge, a residential program offering transitional counseling, drug treatment and other services to inmates on work release. Bridges, the Orlando-based nonprofit that runs the program, had […]

Peter SchorschMay 8, 2016

How many times can Department of Corrections officials tick off Greg Evers before they’re really in for it? The Republican state Senator from North Florida has been on a one-man crusade against the department. Evers chairs the Senate Committee on Criminal Justice, which has held hearings about the agency’s ability and integrity. Evers, a farmer from Baker, has even made some unannounced […]

Jim RosicaMay 4, 2016

Almost all of Broward County’s legislative delegation is telling Gov. Rick Scott: Keep the Bridge open. In a new letter, 17 of the county’s members in the House and Senate — 16 of them Democrats — are the latest lawmakers to protest the Department of Corrections’ planned shutdown of a prisoner re-entry program. “The impact of this […]

Jim RosicaMay 3, 2016

At least three inmates have filed suit in Tallahassee over the Department of Corrections‘ shutdown of a south Florida prisoner re-entry program. Michael Brammer, John McDougle and Douglas Rahn sued in Leon County Circuit Court late Monday, records show. They seek a court order preventing the state from closing Broward Bridge, a residential program offering transitional […]

Jim RosicaMay 2, 2016

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A state senator says the Department of Corrections “lied” to him about the closure of a prisoner re-entry program. But a department spokesman says he may have misunderstood the conversation. Greg Evers, the Baker Republican who heads his chamber’s Criminal Justice Committee, spoke at a Tallahassee news conference on Monday. Evers told reporters he wanted to insert special […]

Jim RosicaMay 2, 2016

State Sen. Darren Soto is adding his name to the growing list of state lawmakers objecting to the closing of a prisoner re-entry program in Broward County. Soto, an Orlando Democrat, wrote Friday to Corrections Secretary Julie Jones to say he was “troubled by this decision” because he is a “strong proponent of these types of facilities and programs.” […]

Tag: Bridges of America

One reason to support Bridges of America in its latest dust-up with the Department of Corrections

State, local officials join ex-prisoners to protest proposed closing Bridges of America center

Dept of Corrections, Bridges of America battling again over inmate programs

Bridges of America settles, but still helps inmates

Corrections settles case over prisoner program shutdown

Peter Schorsch: Irritated senator, no love for Guv, panther numbers

Broward delegation protests prisoner program closure

Inmates now suing over state shutdown of prisoner re-entry program

Greg Evers says prisons agency “lied” to him

Darren Soto “troubled” by Broward program shutdown