Florida Politics - Campaigns & Elections. Lobbying & Government.

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.” […]

Staff ReportsMay 2, 2016

Bridges of America “and allies” are planning a press conference in Tallahassee on Monday morning. The Orlando-based nonprofit is continuing to call attention to the state’s shutdown of its Broward County prisoner re-entry program. A bipartisan group of state lawmakers has written letters of concern to Corrections Secretary Julie Jones. They’re asking her to reconsider the […]

Peter SchorschMay 1, 2016

Among the four top statewide officials, no one walked away a winner from last week’s battle over the next insurance commissioner. Neither Gov. Rick Scott nor CFO Jeff Atwater got the candidate he wanted, with both settling on the third name Atwater threw out at Friday’s emergency Cabinet meeting, David Altmaier. And that was by a design that Atwater himself, […]

Jim RosicaApril 28, 2016

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A top House Republican now is questioning the shutdown of a South Florida prisoner re-entry program. Dana Young, leader of the Florida House of Representatives’ controlling Republican caucus, wrote a letter to Corrections Secretary Julie Jones on Wednesday. The letter, released to reporters on Thursday, comes on the tail of the department’s decision to discontinue a Broward County […]

Staff ReportsApril 27, 2016

The state’s Department of Corrections has slapped a ‘top secret’ label on its plan to help ex-cons in Broward County. The department on Monday turned down a request by POLITICO Florida to release a “transition plan,” now that the state has ended its partnership with the Orlando-based Bridges of America nonprofit. Bridges of America had a contract to […]

Staff ReportsApril 25, 2016

The state’s prisons agency and a prisoner rehab program now are sparring in press releases. The Florida Department of Corrections last week said it was ending its partnership with the Orlando-based Bridges of America nonprofit. Bridges of America had a contract to run a transitional and substance abuse program in Broward County. The arrangement ends May 16, and the department told the […]

Ryan RayApril 25, 2016

When a prisoner told former Dade Correctional Facility counsellor Harriet Krzykowski about how the prison guards starved him and his fellow inmates, Krzykowski thought he must be paranoid. But as Eyal Press in the New Yorker writes, that wasn’t the half of it. Krzykowski worked in the facility’s “Transitional Care Unit,” or T.C.U., which, in theory was “designed […]

Jim RosicaApril 22, 2016

A nonprofit specializing in helping former prisoners re-enter society is slamming the state for shutting it down. Specifically, Bridges of America says the Department of Corrections is pulling the plug on its transitional and substance abuse program in Broward County. The current contract between Bridges and the department ends May 16. The state told the […]

Jim RosicaApril 13, 2016

A contract worth over $260 million for health care at the state’s prisons will stand after an administrative law judge sided with the Department of Corrections. Wexford Health Sources had challenged the contract for prison health care in north and central Florida awarded to Centurion of Florida. Centurion wanted to replace Corizon, the current vendor, […]

Mitch PerryApril 8, 2016

A mentally ill inmate who was in protective custody was found dead at the Columbia Correctional Institution on Tuesday, a day after a corrections officer was hospitalized in an attack. It’s yet another black mark on Florida’s prison system, one that many say is overcrowded and underfunded. The Department of Corrections, though, insists those issues had nothing […]

Tag: Department of Corrections
Crowds gather to see Atlantis at Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex. (Gabrielle Russon)

Darren Soto “troubled” by Broward program shutdown

Bridges of America to hold news conference

Peter Schorsch: Testy process, minimum wage debate, geese tips

Dana Young dubious about prisoner program shutdown

State refuses to divulge new plan to help ex-prisoners

Bridges of America fighting to stay open in Broward

In Florida’s prisons, fear and loathing

State ending prisoner-assistance program in Broward

Wexford loses challenge over prisons health care contract

Jeff Brandes say his next focus will be on reforming Florida prison system