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Florida Department of Corrections - page 2

Inmate health care sees improvement with new vendor

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Four months after taking over health care duties for inmates in the state’s Department of Corrections, Centurion of Florida, LLC is showing marked improvements over its predecessor. The company has added more than 500 new staff members, a nearly 15 percent increase, and has almost entirely snuffed out the use of temporary physicians, resulting in inmates having more dedicated long-term caregivers in place. The previous company to provide health care to Florida inmates, Corizon, abruptly canceled its $1.2 billion contract with the…

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DOC used faulty cost analysis, misstatements in plan to cut nonprofit prisoner drug treatment facilities

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In making its case to end third-party nonprofit drug abuse treatment and counseling for soon-to-be-released prisoners, the Florida Department of Corrections relied on false cost analysis and misleading statements. Daniel Ducassi of POLITICO Florida reports on newly released documents showing plans to cut nearly 700 so-called “transition” beds for prisoners in community-based facilities leading up to their release. The move sparked an uproar from nonprofit transition centers with DOC contracts to offer those services. “These sweeping policy changes that haven’t been…

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

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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 similar battle broke out earlier this year over Broward Bridge, a residential program offering transitional counseling, drug treatment, and other services to inmates on work…

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

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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 America presumed was budgetary constraints. But years of results have shown the center to cost taxpayers less money and reduce recidivism, it asserted at Monday’s news conference.…

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Authorities: Arrest made in arson fire at Florida mosque

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A 32-year-old Florida man has been arrested and is facing a charge of arson with a hate crime enhancement in connection with a fire that heavily damaged the mosque that Orlando nightclub gunman Omar Mateen occasionally attended, authorities announced Wednesday. Joseph Michael Schreiber was arrested without incident Wednesday afternoon and was being interrogated by investigators probing a fire set late Sunday that extensively damaged the Islamic Center of Fort Pierce, said Maj. David Thompson of the St. Lucie County Sheriff’s…

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Attica remembered? Florida quells major prison disturbance

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The Florida Department of Corrections says hundreds of inmates created a major disturbance at a Holmes County prison. The department said the prison remained on lockdown Thursday after the incident the night before, but the disturbance has been resolved. One prisoner injured another inmate during the incident, but no staff was hurt. The department is assessing damages and has transported prisoners involved elsewhere. The department said it wouldn’t provide more information until after an investigation. There have been news reports…

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Tampa probation officer sues after altercation with subpoena server

in The Bay and the 'Burg/Top Headlines by

Eric Hall was on leave from his job as a probation officer when he encountered Donna Horn, a criminal investigator from Largo, who was there to deliver a subpoena. The confrontation did not go well for Hall, a 46-year-old former U.S Marine from Tampa, resulting in his arrest, job loss, legal accusations on both sides and now a lawsuit to clear his name. By the time of the encounter, Horn, 48, had already visited Hall’s workplace, allegedly storming out after…

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