Click here for a PDF version of the Florida Right On Crime Statement of Principles.

The Florida Department of Corrections houses 102,000 inmates in its 63 state prisons (including seven private prisons) costing taxpayers nearly $2.4 billion. The growth in the prison population is not attributable to Florida’s overall population growth. From 1970 through 2009, Florida experienced significant growth – a 2.7-fold growth in its population. But during that same period, the prison population grew 11.4-fold.

Currently, one in 31 adults is under some form of correctional control. The state’s incarceration rate is 26 percent higher than the national average, and it has the third-largest correctional system in the nation after California (174,000) and Texas (155,000). If Florida were to incarcerate people at the same rate as in FY1972-73 (126.8 per 100,000), the state’s prison population would be 23,848, at a cost of $446 million instead of the nearly $2.4 billion Florida spent in FY2010-11.

Additionally, Florida's recidivism rate is about 33%, which means one out of every three inmates released from a Florida prison returns to prison in Florida within three years. (This does not include the number of inmates who also return to county jails, federal prisons, or prisons in other states.) This 33% recidivism rate within 3 years of release increases to 65% after five years.

It costs an average of $53.34 per day or $19,469 per year to house an inmate in a Florida prison, and Floridians pour nearly $3 billion a year into the state's overall corrections system. However, with a crippling $3.75 billion budget gap, there is a renewed effort to address the inefficiencies in government—including the corrections system.

“With our state facing a $3.75 billion budget shortfall this year and the cost of the corrections budget increasing, now is the time for reform,” said Dominic M. Calabro, President and CEO, Florida TaxWatch. “Now is the time for smart justice reforms that reduce crime while saving money.”

Two Florida state legislators have filed identical bills (SB 1334, HB 917) to eliminate mandatory minimum prison sentences for drug offenses and nonviolent crimes.

“The timing of this bill could not be better; we have a receptive audience in both the House and Senate, looking for smart solutions to our state’s financial deficit,” said Republican Senator Ellyn Bogdanoff. “This bill shows that the State of Florida has the ability to evaluate each case individually and be tough on crime without being tough on justice.”

On Tuesday, March 22, 2011 the Right on Crime campaign launched in Florida with support from former state Attorney General Richard Doran, Dominic Calabro of Florida TaxWatch, Bob McClure of the James Madison Institute, former Monroe County Sheriff Allsion DeFoor, and Barney Bishop, the President and CEO of Associated Industries of Florida.

• A New Re-entry Program for Florida?

  Posted in Florida, Parole and Re-Entry, Priority Issues, ROC Blog, State Initiatives, Uncategorized: April 3, 2012 by Timothy Cook

  In a bill recently passed by both chambers of the state legislature, Florida may have hit upon an effective way to combat high recidivism rates. The bill, now awaiting…

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• Florida Conservative Groups Announce the Results of a “Smart Justice” Poll

  Posted in Florida, Priority Issues, Prisons, ROC Blog, State Initiatives, Uncategorized: January 19, 2012 by Vikrant P. Reddy

  Earlier today, Florida TaxWatch and Associated Industries of Florida released a new poll under their “Smart Justice” initiative. The poll surveyed 800 registered Florida Republicans who self-identified as likely voters. Among the most interesting findings…

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• A Step Forward for Florida Taxpayers

  Posted in Florida, Priority Issues, Prisons, ROC Blog, State Initiatives: January 18, 2012 by Jeanette Moll

  Florida Governor Rick Scott, a Republican, recently proposed closing seven prisons across the state. The proposed closures are a response to declining crime rates and a growing number of empty prison beds…

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• Florida Focuses on Juvenile Education Behind Bars

  Posted in Florida, Juvenile Justice, Priority Issues, ROC Blog, State Initiatives: December 20, 2011 by Jeanette Moll

  A Senate committee in Florida is undertaking comprehensive juvenile justice reform, and one aspect of that reform is education. Senator Stephen Wise, a Republican from Jacksonville, has introduced legislation (Senate Bill 834) to ensure that juveniles receive an education while committed.

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