Governor Rick Scott Issues Executive Order Reforming Florida Prisons
By Space Coast Daily // May 11, 2015
Governor Rick Scott today signed Executive Order 15-102 which makes significant reforms in Florida’s prison system to improve safety, transparency and accountability.
The measures included in Executive Order 15-102 were recommended by Department of Corrections Secretary Julie Jones and various stakeholders.
Many of the included reforms are currently being implemented by the FDOC to increase safety.
“The steps outlined in today’s executive order present a clear path forward for the Florida Department of Corrections. The Department’s number one focus is the safety of Florida’s correctional officers, communities and the inmates in state custody and supervision,” said Governor Rick Scott.
I would like to thank Secretary Jones for advancing the Department’s mission by increasing transparency and accountability in all Florida correctional institutions.”
“The Florida Department of Corrections is committed to progress and reform through data-driven initiatives and actions,” said Secretary Julie Jones.
“Looking forward, it is critically important that this Department continues in our efforts to be accountable to the people of Florida, our employees and the hundreds of thousands of inmates and offenders under our custody and supervision.”
In the coming days, weeks and months, the Department will continue working toward progress and reform through the initiatives set forth in Executive Order 15-102 which include:
• Implementation of a four region security and institutional model.
• Enhance and reinforce the importance of safety in institutional security reviews through security review committees.
•Implementation of appropriate staff review policies, classification and practices as needed.
•Maintain an active memorandum of understanding with the Florida Department of Law Enforcement to be provided in a timely manner to the Governor, the President of the Senate and the Speaker of the House of Representatives.
• Implement and mandate the completion of specialized training for inspectors within the Office of Inspector General who conduct sexual abuse investigations in confinement settings.
• Implementation of Department policy and rule that each employee who either applies physical force, or was responsible for the decision to apply physical force shall sign an independent report under oath within one working day of the incident.
• Establishment of a usage and inventory policy to track, by institution, the use of chemical agents and disposal of expired, used, or damaged canisters of chemical agents.
• Implementation of policy and rule that ensures medical staff have the authority to use identification numbers when completing incident reports.
• Implementation of use of force analysis using data driven methodology to ensure that all incidents are reported and properly recorded.
• Implementation of policy and rule protecting all Department employees who report wrongdoing from retaliation of any kind.
