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Prison bill emerges in House — but without oversight commission

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A measure aimed at improving conditions inside Florida’s troubled prisons is finally poised for its debut in the House — but is lacking an independent oversight commission pushed by the Senate and many reform advocates.

House Democrats supporting the changes said Thursday they have been assured that House committees will begin work next week on legislation that includes many of the provisions outlined by the Senate.

But it doesn’t contain the Senate’s push for an independent oversight commission designed to probe allegations of inmate abuse and poor health care, said Rep. Randolph Bracy of Ocoee. Bracy is the ranking Democrat on the Criminal Justice Subcommittee, which has begun crafting the House proposal.

Bracy said House Republican leaders viewed the oversight commission as amounting to a “bad tag” on the Department of Corrections.

“The Republican leadership felt the Department of Corrections shouldn’t be penalized without a proper opportunity to be fully funded,” Bracy said.

He characterized House Speaker Steve Crisafulli’s leadership team as viewing DOC this way:

“If they are understaffed and overworked, how about we consider providing the staff to help them improve the environment within the prison system, before we penalize them with the oversight commission,” Bracy said.

The DOC has been plagued by months of media reports of suspicious inmate deaths, allegations of guards beating prisoners, staffing woes and shoddy medical treatment documented in a series of stories by the Palm Beach Post.

Gov. Rick Scott and Department of Corrections Secretary Julie Jones – the governor’s fourth prisons chief in as many years – also have shown little support for establishing an outside commission.

The Senate’s proposed commission would be appointed by the governor and include a sheriff, state attorney, public defender, faith and community leaders.

Along with helping develop an annual budget for the nation’s third largest prison system, the commission would create performance standards for prisons and monitor operations.

It also could issue subpoenas and conduct confidential interviews and investigations “free and independent from anyone within the DOC,” said Sen. Rob Bradley, R-Fleming Island, a leading advocate for the approach.

Bracy and other House Democratic leaders said they were disappointed by resistance to the oversight commission. But they said the legislation advancing in the House still includes changes that would improve the prison system.

The legislation is expected to include provisions aimed at reducing inappropriate force against inmates, retaliation against guards and inmates who file grievances about wrongdoing, and creates new criminal penalties for correctional officers and private health providers found negligent in caring for inmates.

“This doesn’t happen overnight,” Rep. Darryl Rouson, D-St. Petersburg, said of the proposed changes. “You can only eat an elephant one bite at a time.”

 


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