According to an article in the Daily Mail, a UK news outlet, “Prison rape in America – perpetrated by both inmates and staff – remains pervasive.” 15 years after the Prison Rape Elimination Act was passed in 2003. Florida has one of the worst prison systems in the country.
9.8% of inmates at the Northwest Florida Reception Center in Chipley have reported being the victim of sexual assault. 7.3% at the Apalachee Correctional Institution and 10.1% of inmates at the Santa Rosa Correctional Institute in Milton, Florida.
At Santa Rosa, the 10.1% figure is for assaults committed by facility staff! The data is compiled from a 2015 report by the Bureau of Justice Statistics. The article states that experts argue those numbers still reflect under-reporting, as the study examined just 4 percent of all prison inmates and 3.2 percent of all jail inmates in America.
In total, for 2015 more than half (58 percent) of the allegations in 2015 were claims that prison staff victimized inmates, while 42 percent were incidences where accusations were leveled against fellow inmates.
It’s clear something must be done to clean up this country’s broken justice system. We cannot return people to society more damaged than they were when they entered.
I think this post is BS. I did three years in Florida Reception Center Lake Butler,FSP, Wakulla, & Blountstown from 1998 thru 2001. I was a sex offender going into this system. Florida penal system is probably one of the best at protecting inmates that I was a witness too. I was terrified that someone would look me up on the internet. They did after 6 months, a SGT Ross in the chow hall looked me up. Once my secret to the other officers was out, I was placed in the pot room & scrubbed pots for six months. I was never assaulted by them or other inmates. The officers tried to break my spirit but they fail miserable. I hung out with other sex offender inmates my wife looked up for me on the outside, we all stayed in our own little group and minded our own business. Once Florida passed “The Commitment for Life Act”, we forced the wardens hand, that we wanted treatment inside prison. The psychologist allowed us to from a Sex Offender Group that met once a month with her. It now showed on our record we sought treatment while in prison and were deemed not to re-offend once released.I was witness to alot of sex but it was all consensual by the gay boy inmates in our dorms. The most shocking thing I discovered working for PRIDE while in Prison was they have a program through the DMV. But thats off topic…if you want to hear about it request it.
For me, the Floriduh Prison System operates much like Veterans Affairs. No matter how many top executives get replaced, the rot is still deep within the ranks. Both organizations pay their rank and file employees lower than average salaries, thus attracting low educated and low skilled members of society. Their is also an inherent sense of arrogance that “we can do what we want,” fostering a CYA attitude because there is no proper oversight. Both organizations have failed internal checks and balance systems.
To “fix” Floriduh’s Prison System, all operating procedures must be re-written, screening process must be more diligent with background checks, and salaries and training must be increased at least two-fold. I also think a wholesale replacement of wardens would be a good start because the warden sets the tone for each institution. They should have the most stringent psychological screening and monitoring policies in place to attract the most stable and humane types of people.
Why not it’s the American way. Just look at all the other sex offender rules and policies.
Could it be that there is too much profit to be made to encourage any ‘fixing of the system’?
Eaxactily this is the way most business is ran as long as the checks come in no one cares.
by the way I have proof that other inmates verified and witnessed and was allowed to send their affidavits as privileged mail concerning this horrific incident. He is 26 and in fear of his life.
I have a heartbreaking story of a young man who was raped in prison in front of staff and humiliated for being gay. He is a sex offender and has been sexually abused since the age of 5 and I don’t know how to help. He writes and begs for help. I cry with each letter. He was also brutally raped while in Alachua County jail which was on video film and they did a rape kit which was positive yet they refuse to do anything about it as the deputies stood there and laughed. Any advice would be welcomed.
Call the Florida Department of Corrections and report it.
Dear Frank and FAC,
All Florida law enforcement (including corrections officers) are licensed by and through their certificates obtained from mandatory training institutions to practice in that capacity by the Criminal Justice Standards and Training Commission (CJSTC). The CJSTC is an independent body from any law enforcement agency that takes complaints against persons who hold law enforcement certifications. See http://www.fdle.state.fl.us/CJSTC/Commission/CJSTC-Home.aspx
Anyone who has knowledge or evidence of misconduct by a Florida certified office can file a complaint to the CJSTC.
call federal agency’s as well, FDLE, Sherriff’s office for that county as some sheriff’s may fully investigate wanting to make a name for themselves
everyone is blind to the fact that you CANNOT call because once word is out…the inmate will pay dearly for any repercussions. if your even heard on the phones talking about any reporting misconduct on the C.O.s behalf, it will be dealt with, and not in the way you expect. inmate will suffer greatly. its so easy to get lost in the system. people are so naive to the fact of what really goes on behind that barb wired fence and walls. ive seen employees that are scared to even speak about what goes on and quickly quit there jobs there. the level of corruption is beyond your wildest imagination… and the blackmailing and disgusting acts that go on by C.O.s is horrendous. inmates are at the mercy of this…. because lets be honest here….who the hell would believe them anyways? who are they going to tell? they’ll tell nothing on the phones to families i can tell you that….because it will be caught by the officers listening on phone calls and dealt with so that in the future you’ll never say anything again. i know some believe the common “they deserve it” statement, and i could only imagine how i would feel if somone was to hurt one of my children, but there is a big percentage incarcerated for drug problems, minor crimes, victimless offenders, etc. i agree with the statement made prior to mine….they need educated and higher standards when recruiting officers. higher paying salaries is a must, maybe circulating shifts at different facilities would stop all the officer/inmate relations eg; ones shift after thirty days at instution 1 would move to instution 2 for thirty days…and so on between 2-4 instutions (just a thought) and definatly no women employees at a mens facility and no men employees at a womens facility. maybe it would work, maybe it wouldnt. i know with higher salaries, it would open the door to being more thorough and cautious when hiring employees.
alot of these problems would resolve if all these drug and pharmaceutical companies that are being sued by the state would require rehabs to be put in place that are not hundreds of thousands of dollars. the state funded rehabs are broken and at full capacity. but were not going to go into that…. ]
thanks rants over