The purpose of the Florida Department of Corrections is to protect the public through the incarceration and supervision of offenders and to rehabilitate offenders through the application of work, programs, and services.
What activities are performed by the department?
The department's activities include the following.
Institutionsare geographically grouped into four regions. These facilities include major institutions, annexes, work camps, re-entry centers, road prisons/forestry camps, a basic training camp, and work release centers.The Tallahassee Central Office provides support, policy, and oversight through the regional directors and their staff to all the facilities.
Health Servicesoversees the delivery of health care services in order to provide inmates with a constitutional standard of care.The department contracts with Centurion of Florida, LLC, to provide comprehensive inmate medical, mental health, and dental services statewide under a managed care model.Department staff oversees the delivery of health care services and handles statewide functions such as technical assistance, training, policy development, grievance appeals, clinical-legal issues, contract management and monitoring, budget development and tracking, informatics/analytics and partnership development.
Probation Servicesmonitors and supervises adult offenders through probation officesacross the state.This includes offenders released from prison on parole, conditional release, or conditional medical release and those placed on court ordered supervision including regular probation,administrative probation, drug offender probation, sex offender probation, and community control.Aiming to protect the community by enforcing standard conditions of supervision stipulated by statute, as well as special conditions imposed by the court or sentencing authority,these conditions can include victim restitution, substance abuse or mental health treatment programs, and other sanctions or restrictions.Correctional probation officers monitor offender compliance through contacts at their residences, employment sites, and other locations in the community and conduct investigations,including pre-sentence investigations, other state investigations, and violation reports. In addition, officers make appropriate referrals to assist the offender with resources available to complete their term of supervision successfully.
Are there any private contractor-operated prisons in Florida?
Previously overseen by the Florida Department of Management Services, the 2023 Legislature enacted Ch.2023-268, Laws of Florida, to transfer all of the powers, duties, functions, records, personnel, property, and administrative authority and rules relating to private correctional prisons to the Florida Department of Corrections.