FDOC

Florida Department of Corrections MISSION STATEMENT "To protect the public safety, to ensure the safety of Department personnel, and to provide proper care and supervision of all offenders under our jurisdiction while assisting, as appropriate, their reentry into society." Florida Department of Corrections Homepage Offender Search Secretary Walter McNeil Extols Reentry Efforts Justice Summit 2009 November 17, 2009 The Collins Center sponsored the 2009 Justice Summit held in Tampa on November 16-17, 2009. Numerous luminaries from Florida executive and judicial branches, business community, and social service organizations pooled information and generated enthusiasm for tackling the monumental task of justice reform and provision of transition services to inmates facing release. Weighing public safety concerns against humane treatment of Florida's prisoners and economic realities means devising long-range and short-range solutions to a mammoth and growing problem that affects every state (and taxpayer) in the nation. Former Secretary Jim McDonough was one of the Summit's organizers, and current Secretary Walter McNeil gave an inspiring speech that outlined DOC's increasing efforts to prepare inmates before release so they have the knowledge and training needed to overcome obstacles and become productive citizens, and to never again be guests of the State. "Florida Must Do More Than Build Prisons" Former DOC Secretary Speaks Out August 17, 2009 Those of us who have admired James McDonough's attempt to clean up the Florida Department of Corrections are enthused by his current drive to publicize the practical reasons for the legislature and citizens of the Sunshine State to press for and underwrite programs that address those obstacles that trip up ex-offenders after release. Providing transitioning inmates and ex-offenders with treatment and training is necessary to make them self-sufficient and keep them from preying on new victims and returning to lock-up. This is no plea for mercy by any means but a rational strategy to increase public safety by empowering a disenfranchised segment of the population to care for themselves. Read McDonough's article at Tampabay.com to clearly see why we all need to support this cause for our own good. What is not discussed, despite their well-publicized commitment, is DOC's continued cutting of educational, religious, and drug abuse programs and related staff. DOC is screaming poor like everybody else. Community programs are also closing their doors one after the other. All the planning in the world goes nowhere if programs aren't actually funded, staffed, and implemented. Demilly C.I. Re-entry Facility Opens Polk County March 2009 Florida's first prison specifically designed to provide inmates with life skills they need to successfully reintegrate upon release has opened in Polk County. Three more are underway, the second being built in the Jacksonville area. Read all about it: Demilly C.I. Opening Day Press Release ******************************** In our opinion, anyone familiar with DOC's rather anemic transition programs – which have sported creative lip service, falsified certificates, fudged statistics, flawed contracts, unqualified instructors, insufficient teaching materials, and vanishing funds – should welcome this up front attempt to provide desperately needed services and education to as many transitioning inmates as possible. Let us hope this is the beginning of more transparency, more competence and caring, and more faithful alignment with legislated mandates.  McNEIL SPEAKS AT RESTORATION OF RIGHTS SUMMIT June 17, 2008 FDOC's newly appointed Secretary, Walter McNeil, spelled out the direction of his administration in a speech at the June 17-18 Restoration of Rights Summit in Tallahassee. According to a DOC press release, "The Summit’s short-term goal is to gather input from other agencies and community organizations to identify barriers to ex-offenders' re-entry into society, such as restoration of their civil rights, and to determine viable solutions to those barriers. Its long-term goal is to develop a formal and comprehensive re-entry strategic plan to address the growing problem of ex-inmates returning to prison, who do so in part because they don’t have the tools to succeed when released." McNEIL REPLACES McDONOUGH January 16, 2008 Governor Crist has appointed Walter McNeil, currently Secretary of the Department of Juvenile Justice, to replace Jim McDonough as Secretary of the Florida Department of Corrections. Let us hope McNeil continues the momentum generated over the past two years toward reform and the elimination of corruption that permeated the Department and still lingers like embers beneath. Crist's emphasis on open government should help, and the nationwide recognition that educational, vocational, and mental health programs produce better returns on the investment dollar than building more and more prisons nobody can afford. McNeil has an enormous job ahead of him.