The purpose of the Florida Department of Corrections is to protect the public through the incarceration and supervision of offenders and to rehabilitate offenders through the application of work, programs, and services.

The department's activities include the following.

• Institutions are geographically grouped into four regions. These facilities include major institutions, annexes, work camps, re-entry centers, road prisons/forestry camps, a basic training camp, and work release centers. The Tallahassee Central Office provides support, policy, and oversight through the regional directors and their staff to all the facilities.
• Programs and Re-Entry provides programming such as adult education programs, career and technical education programs, and substance abuse treatment that assists with re-integration into the community. The department's chaplaincy services provide for the spiritual needs of inmates and offenders. The community transition team partners with industry, re-entry service, workforce development, and education providers as well as trade and professional associations to facilitate re-entry services and employment for inmates returning to the community and offenders under community supervision.
• Health Services oversees the delivery of health care services in order to provide inmates with a constitutional standard of care. The department contracts with Centurion of Florida, LLC, to provide comprehensive inmate medical, mental health, and dental services statewide under a managed care model. Department staff oversees the delivery of health care services and handles statewide functions such as technical assistance, training, policy development, grievance appeals, clinical-legal issues, contract management and monitoring, budget development and tracking, informatics/analytics and partnership development.
• Probation Services monitors and supervises adult offenders through probation offices across the state. This includes offenders released from prison on parole, conditional release, or conditional medical release and those placed on court ordered supervision including regular probation, administrative probation, drug offender probation, sex offender probation, and community control. Aiming to protect the community by enforcing standard conditions of supervision stipulated by statute, as well as special conditions imposed by the court or sentencing authority, these conditions can include victim restitution, substance abuse or mental health treatment programs, and other sanctions or restrictions. Correctional probation officers monitor offender compliance through contacts at their residences, employment sites, and other locations in the community and conduct investigations, including pre-sentence investigations, other state investigations, and violation reports. In addition, officers make appropriate referrals to assist the offender with resources available to complete their term of supervision successfully.

Yes, there are private contractor-operated prisons in Florida. Of the state’s 49 major correctional institutions, 7 are private. There are six private prisons housing male inmates: Bay Correctional Facility (Bay County), Blackwater River Correctional Facility (Santa Rosa County), Graceville Correctional Facility (Jackson County), Lake City Correctional Facility (Columbia County), Moore Haven Correctional Facility (Glades County), and South Bay Correctional Facility (Palm Beach County). One private prison, Gadsden Correctional Facility (Gadsden County), houses female inmates.

Previously overseen by the Florida Department of Management Services, the 2023 Legislature enacted Ch. 2023-268, Laws of Florida, to transfer all of the powers, duties, functions, records, personnel, property, and administrative authority and rules relating to private correctional prisons to the Florida Department of Corrections.

The funding information listed below is provided by Transparency Florida. Additional funding information can be obtained on the State of Florida Fiscal Portal or by contacting the department.

OPPAGA Reports and Presentations
A complete list of OPPAGA reports and presentations is available on our website.

Other Reports
Florida Department of Corrections, Statistics and Publications
Florida Criminal Punishment Code: Assessment and Analysis, Florida Department of Corrections, 2025
Florida Prison Recidivism Report: Releases From 2010 to 2022, Florida Department of Corrections, 2024
2023-2024 Regulatory Plan, Florida Department of Corrections, 2023
A complete list of Florida Auditor General reports is available on its website.

Websites of Interest
American Correctional Association
American Probation and Parole Association
Correctional Peace Officers Foundation
Federal Bureau of Prisons

Chapters 944, 945, 946, 958, and 960 and s. 20.315, Florida Statutes

Florida Department of Corrections Contact Website
Florida Department of Corrections
501 South Calhoun Street
Tallahassee, Florida 32399-2500
(850) 488-7052
Website