[AngelaRetired]

Any opinions?

Tuesday - September 6, 2022 8:38pm

Number of Florida inmates expected to climb steadily - CBS Miami

TALLAHASSEE - As a legislative panel prepares Friday to consider a plan to activate Florida National Guard members to help at short-staffed prisons, a recent report by state analysts shows that the number of inmates is expected to steadily climb in the coming years.

The number of inmates plunged early in the COVID-19 pandemic, in part because court closures caused a backlog of cases.

The state ended the 2020-2021 fiscal year with 80,495 inmates, down from 95,626 two years earlier, according to a report issued last month by the state Criminal Justice Estimating Conference.

But the report shows that the inmate numbers have started to steadily increase and are expected to hit 85,682 inmates at the June 30 end of the current fiscal year.

The growth is expected to continue, reaching 93,335 inmates by the end of the 2027-2028 fiscal year, according to the report.

The Joint Legislative Budget Commission on Friday is scheduled to consider a proposal to free up $31.25 million that, at least in part, would be used to cover the costs of activating National Guard members to help at prisons because of a shortage of correctional officers.

Florida has long grappled with shortages of correctional officers and recently has taken steps such as increasing pay to help hire and keep officers.

The shortages have resulted in officers working large amounts of overtime and supervising numerous inmates.

https://www.cbsnews.com/amp/miami/ne...limb-steadily/

[AngelaRetired]

FROM ARTICLE

The Joint Legislative Budget Commission on Friday is scheduled to consider a proposal to free up $31.25 million that, at least in part, would be used to cover the costs of activating National Guard members to help at prisons because of a shortage of correctional officers.

Hmmm, so what happens when the National Guard members are needed for what they are "suppose" to be doing?

[bmw335xi]

I support giving more funding to prisons. What California was doing was releasing prisoners and not prosecuting criminals, which has been a disaster.

[AngelaRetired]

Originally Posted by bmw335xi

I support giving more funding to prisons. What California was doing was releasing prisoners and not prosecuting criminals, which has been a disaster.

[kyle19125]

It's a funding source for Florida, kind of gross.

https://www.prisonpolicy.org/profiles/FL.html

[AngelaRetired]

Originally Posted by kyle19125

It's a funding source for Florida, kind of gross.

https://www.prisonpolicy.org/profiles/FL.html

[Arcenal813]

Non-violent offenders do not belong in prisons.

[AngelaRetired]

What should be done with them?

[bmw335xi]

Originally Posted by Arcenal813

Non-violent offenders do not belong in prisons.

I think there are non-violent crimes that warrant prison time such as car break-ins. Most people have sensitive information in their cars from paperwork, full name, addresses, garage openers and may even store a firearm. When San Francisco stopped prosecuting for these kinds of crimes, some people were leaving windows down, so criminals can open the door and inspect themselves without getting your windows smashed. I also think retail theft over a certain amount or if the person flees the scene when confronted should have prison times. Also in San Francisco, people would calmly walk in with a black garbage bag and just load up because they know nothing will happen to them. So many stores have been closed down due to excessive theft. I use San Francisco as an example because that is where I moved from and still have friends/family there. Their idea to lower prison population was basically to not prosecute non-violent criminals. I think there are non-violent offenders that don't warrant prison time as well though, specifically drug related stuff.

[Corrie22]

looks like it's just numbers......

Florida's population is growing.....and literally millions coming across the border

...so you would expect anything to do with population to increase at the same rate