• Community Corrections
• Health Services
• Inmate Programs
• Security and Institutional Operations

As of March 2023, the department housed 84,081 inmates in its facilities and was responsible for an additional 84,860 offenders on active community supervision. Prior to the COVID-19 pandemic, FDC incarcerated approximately 94,000 inmates. The response to COVID-19 resulted in fewer arrests and prosecutions, fewer individuals sentenced to incarceration, and fewer commitments received from county jails. As of December 2022, the most current data available, Florida had the third largest state prison population in the United States, behind Texas and California.

Florida Department of Corrections Facilities as of March 31, 2023.

Throughout 2021 and early 2022, many facilities closed or were consolidated due to staffing concerns. This included several work camps (Cross City Work Camp, Columbia Work Camp, Franklin Work Camp, Hamilton Work Camp, Santa Rosa Work Camp, Suwannee Work Camp, Jackson Work Camp, Madison Work Camp, Lowell Work Camp, Graceville Work Camp, Holmes Work Camp, and Liberty South Unit Work Camp.) Additionally, the Gulf Forestry Camp and Taylor Correctional Institution Annex were also closed. One previously closed facility, the Largo Road Prison, was reopened in May 2022.

Due to staffing concerns, many correctional institutions have been augmented by the Florida National Guard throughout 2022, including Calhoun Correctional Institution, Franklin Correctional Institution, Hamilton Correctional Institution, Jackson Correctional Institution, Mayo Correctional Institution, Northwest Florida Reception Center, Reception and Medial Center, Santa Rosa Correctional Institution, and Union Correctional Institution.

An escape is an unauthorized absence from a designated facility boundary or absence from any official assignment outside the boundary. The department classifies escapes into three categories.

• Level I: Escape from non-secure environment, such as a community correctional center or outside work squad, in which no Level 3 behaviors are exhibited.
• Level II: Escape from a secure perimeter or supervised environment, in which no Level 3 behaviors are exhibited.
• Level III: Escape that involves hostages, weapons/tools, outside assistance or violence during or after the escape. 

The number of escapes in Fiscal Year 201-2022 was consistent with the number of escapes in FY 2020-21 at 23 escapes. None of the escapes in FY 2021-2022 were from Correctional Institution or Work Camps/Road Prisons. All 23 escapes were from Work Release/Contract Centers, and all 23 escapes were designated Level I escapes. 

Of the 23 escapes, 21 (91.3%) were recaptured as of July 7, 2022. Of the 21 recaptured, 20 (95.2%) were recaptured within the same quarter the escape occurred. Of the 20 recaptured within the quarter, 11 (55.0%) were recaptured within 24 hours of the escape.

The most recent rate, published in 2022, was calculated from data of individuals who were released in 2018. The department reported that 21.2% of the inmates who left Florida's prisons will return (or recidivate) within three years. For 2018 releases, some factors found to influence an inmate’s likelihood of recidivism include

• whether the inmate has supervision following release;
• the number of prior prison commitments;
• the inmate’s age at first offense;
• the number of criminal associates; and
• the inmate's homeless status upon release.

Regarding re-arrest, the department reported that 60.5% of the inmates who left Florida's prisons in 2018 were re-arrested in Florida within three years.

For Fiscal Year 2021-22, it cost $77.53 per day to house an inmate. These rates represent an average cost per day for all types of inmates from the lowest custody level to death row and all types of facilities from the least costly community release centers to the more costly reception centers and specialty institutions, but excludes private facilities.

Criminal Penalties for Misconduct With Inmates. The 2023 Legislature enacted Ch. 2023-268, Laws of Florida, which amends s. 944.35, Florida Statutes, by providing criminal penalties for any volunteer or employee of a contractor, subcontractor, or private corrections facility who engages in sexual misconduct with inmates or offenders. An individual who commits this offense commits a third degree felony.

Private Prison Contracts. The 2023 Legislature enacted Ch. 2023-268, Laws of Florida, which transfers all of the power, duties, functions, records, personnel, property and administrative authority and rules relating to private correctional facilities by a type two transfer (s. 20.06(2), Florida Statutes) from the Department of Management Services to the Department of Corrections.

Correctional Officer Pay Increase. The 2023 Florida Legislature passed the state budget, Ch. 2023-239, Laws of Florida, which increases the starting salary for correctional officers at $45,760 ($22/hr.) along with bonuses for high vacancy facilities.

Custody and Supervision of Specified Offenders. The 2023 Legislature enacted Ch. 2023-146, Laws of Florida, which prohibits the Florida Department of Corrections from granting basic gain-time or incentive gain-time to someone who commits, attempts, solicits, or conspires to commit sexual battery and other sexual offenses on or after July 1, 2023. Gain-time is when the department grants deductions to an inmates sentence. However, gain-time cannot decrease an inmate's sentence shorter than 85% of their term of imprisonment imposed by the court. Basic gain-time is defined in s. 944.275(4)(a), Florida Statutes, and allows the department to award an inmate up to 10 days each month if they demonstrate satisfactory behavior while incarcerated. Incentive gain-time is defined in s. 944.275(4)(b), Florida Statutes, and allows the department to award up to 10 days per month to an inmate who diligently participates in training, uses time constructively, or otherwise engages in positive activity. Further, the law requires a court to sentence a person to additional conditions of probation if the person is convicted of attempting, soliciting, or conspiring to commit an enumerated offense.

Operation New Hope. The 2023 Legislature enacted Ch. 2023-276, Laws of Florida, which allows the Department of Corrections, in accordance with s. 944.706, Florida Statutes, to contract with the nonprofit organization Operation New Hope to provide inmate reentry services that may include counseling, providing information on housing and job placement, money management, and programs addressing mental health, substance abuse and co-occurring conditions. A contract with Operation New Hope must be consistent with funding appropriated in the General Appropriations Act.

Other Reports

The Auditor General reports on department operations are available on its website
Department of Corrections- Quality Assessment Review, Auditor General Report 2023-027, September 2022
Commission on Offender Review-Clemency and Conditional Medical Release-Operational Audit, Auditor General Report 2021-118, January 2021
Department of Corrections: Correctional Officer Recruitment, Certification, and Training and Selected Administrative Activities - Operational Audit, Auditor General Report 2020-192, April 2020
Department of Corrections - Community Supervision, Selected Administrative Activities, and Prior Audit Follow-Up - Operational Audit, Auditor General Report 2020-006, July 2019

Florida Department of Corrections statistics and publications are available on its website
Comprehensive Correctional Master Plan, Florida Department of Corrections
2021-2024 Strategic Plan, Florida Department of Corrections
2021-2022 Regulatory Plan, Florida Department of Corrections
2022-2023 through 2026-2027 Long Range Program Plan, Florida Department of Corrections
Florida Prison Recidivism Report: Releases From 2008 to 2020 Florida Department of Corrections
Florida Criminal Punishment Code Scoresheet Preparation Manual, Florida Department of Corrections and Office of the State Courts Administrator

Websites of Interest
American Probation and Parole Association
American Correctional Association
The Corrections Connection
Correctional Peace Officers Foundation

Procurements
The Florida Accountability Contract Tracking System (FACTS) website provides access to department contract and purchase order information

Performance Information

Department of Corrections, 850-488-7052
Website