Florida Inmates Spend More Time Behind Bars Than Other States
June 16, 2012
Criminal justice experts say they weren’t surprised by last week’s study showing that the time Florida prisoners spend behind bars has grown more than in any other state – a 166 percent increase in the average sentence between 1990 and 2009.
Former Department of Corrections Secretary James McDonough ascribed the findings of the report, “Time Served: The High Cost, Low Return of Longer Prison Terms” by the Pew Center on the States to changes in Florida statutes during the mid-to-late 1990’s.
He cited 1995’s “Truth in Sentencing” law, requiring inmates to serve at least 85 percent of their sentences, and two 1999 laws: “Three Strikes,” by which a third felony conviction requires a minimum sentence of 25 years to life if someone is injured or killed, and “10-20-Life,” which established mandatory minimum sentences for crimes involving firearms.
“Politics in Florida has been such that public officials are afraid to appear, quote, ‘weak on crime,’” McDonough said. “And the way that’s defined is, ‘Don’t lighten up on the sentencing in any way whatsoever.’”
He said the state’s prison terms jumped so much, so fast because in 1990, Florida inmates were serving just 30 percent of their sentences.
“We had prison overcrowding at that time, so we came up with a parole policy and a probation policy that really let a lot of inmates out much, much too early,” McDonough said. “So the pendulum had swung one way. And then throughout the 90’s and the last ten years, we saw the pendulum swing … the other way.
“So you came up with a series of laws and policies that brought us up to this incredible increase in length of stay.”
The state’s position is that such laws have reduced crime immensely.
“Tough-on-crime initiatives have successfully reversed the lenient and disastrous criminal-justice policies of the early 1990s in Florida that caused so much suffering,” notes the DOC web site. “Thanks to the dedication of our state’s law enforcement officers, correctional officers and state prosecutors who enforce tough laws like 10-20-LIFE, Florida’s ‘Index Crime’ rate was the lowest in 34 years and the violent crime rate is the lowest in a quarter century.”
Crime has been dropping for decades, but Florida’s inmate population has risen by a factor of five over 30 years, during which time the general population has barely doubled. As of June 30, 1990, Florida prisons housed 42,733 offenders; by June 30, 2011, the figure was 102,319.
During the period examined by the study, Florida sentences for violent crimes increased from 2.1 years to 5 years, or 137 percent, while drug-related sentences rose 194 percent, from an average of 0.8 years to 2.3 years.
The 166 percent increase in the average prison sentence cost Florida taxpayers $1.4 billion in 2009, according to Pew.
Meanwhile, most states have embraced the concept of “smart justice,” said prison chaplain Allison DeFoor, a former judge and sheriff. “Smart justice” is a compendium of performance measures, accountability and transparency designed to keep inmates from returning to prison after their release.
Fully one-third of Florida offenders return to prison within five years, DeFoor said. “That’s not an efficient system…We talk about recidivism like it’s an intellectual concept. Well, every new [act of] recidivism is somebody’s grandmother’s house got broken into or their car got jacked.”
Florida’s “smart justice” proponents have tried, for instance, to reduce sentences for non-violent offenders. Sen. Ellyn Bogdanoff, R-Fort Lauderdale, repeatedly sponsored a measure that would have ended mandatory minimum sentences for drug offenders, who would remain in custody during the rehabilitation portion of their sentences. She said many addicts have mental health issues that cause them to self-medicate, and that with treatment, they can become taxpayers instead of inmates.
But while the Senate passed Bogdanoff’s bill 40-0 and the House 112-4, Gov. Rick Scott vetoed the measure, saying it would be an injustice to victims.
“Justice to victims of crime is not served when a criminal is permitted to be released early from a sentence imposed by the courts,” he wrote in his veto message. “This bill would permit criminals to be released after serving 50 percent of their sentences, thus creating an unwarranted exception to the rule that inmates serve 85 percent of their imposed sentences.”
As to the Pew study, DOC spokeswoman Ann Howard said the agency wasn’t involved in the research, “so we will refrain from comment out of respect and etiquette to the researchers.”
“The department’s only role is to execute the court orders, added DOC spokeswoman Jo Ellyn Rackleff. “The judges apply the sentences according to Florida statutes, which are passed by the Legislature.”
Pew examined nonviolent offenders released in 2004, concluding that 14 percent of all offenders released in Florida could have served shorter sentences with no threat to public safety.
DeFoor said the most important thing about the study is that it measures the evidence. “It’s ultimately got to be about accountability,” he said. “We need to be driven by the data, not by emotional reactions on either side.”
By The News Service of Florida
Escambia County’s $9.6 Million Budget Dilemma Solved
June 15, 2012
The Escambia County Commission received good news this morning — what was a $9.6 million budget deficit has been cut dramatically without any tax increase.
The current deficit, according to County Administrator Randy Oliver, is down to $410,382. After planned retirement buyouts, that deficit drops to $264,855. The improved budget was based in part on an estimated $2.4 million increase in ad valorem tax collections and on cost reductions across the board.
The commission decided Thursday to eliminate four positions to make up the $264,000. But before the employees get their pink slips, the county will ask the Escambia County Health Facilities Authority for the $264,000 to offset the funding of Escambia County Community Clinics.
The county faced a budget crisis after a state mandate that the county pay for 10 years of Medicaid bills, about $6 million. The library systems was one of the first potential targets to save cash, but branch libraries were spared after public outcry.
“Escambia County anticipated a $3.4 million deficit. However, when the State of Florida passed down the unfunded $6.1 million Medicaid mandate to local government, we were faced with closing a $9.6 million dollar shortfall,” Oliver said. “Actions proposed by the staff – and approved by the Board of County Commissioners – has addressed this deficit in a prudent manner and resulted in a balanced budget without using general fund reserves.”
The library systems was one of the first potential targets to save cash, but branch libraries were spared after public outcry. Library funding does take a 5-percent cut under the proposed budget, but there is a stipulation that all libraries in the unincorporated areas of the county must continue to operate in the same manner as the other branch libraries, including hours of operation. That stipulation includes the Molino Branch which will open later this year.
Pictured: Escambia County Administrator Randy Oliver addresses the Escambia County Commission Thursday morning. Courtesy photo for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
Transit Shuttle Service Proposed Between Jay And Century, Pace, Milton
June 15, 2012
A public transit shuttle service could one day run between Century and Jay, and between Jay and Pace/Milton two days per week.
It’s an idea explored Thursday by the Santa Rosa County Commission, with a vote to work with the town councils in both Jay and Century on the “Jay Public Transportation Shuttle Service.”
The Northwest Florida Rural Health Network wants the service to fill an identified need for transportation between Century and Jay, and the needs of citizens to travel to Pace and Milton. The service, as proposed, would run between Century and Jay three days per week and between Pace/Milton two days per week.
The operating cost is estimated to be $6,000 per month, with the Rural Health Network offering to pay $3,000 per month for six months and the other $3,000 coming from a grant. One or two vehicles would be needed at a 10-percent local cost match of $7,800 or $15,600. Eighty percent of the vehicle cost would be paid for by a Florida Department of Transporation grant, and 10 percent would come from the state.
Santa Rosa County staff will now move forward in requesting Jay and Century share the required 10 percent local match to purchase the vehicles. Santa Rosa County will also apply for the FDOT grant. If the grant is awarded, the vehicle could be purchased after July 1, 2013.
The public transportation program would be open to anyone, not just the economically or otherwise disadvantaged.
UWF Approves Tuition Hike, Purchase Of Country Club
June 15, 2012
The University of West Florida has approved a tuition hike, and the university is moving forward with plans to purchase a nearby country club.
Thursday, UWF’s Board of Trustees approved a 15 percent increase per credit hour. If the tuition increase is approved at the state level, undergraduates will pay $28 more per credit hour while grad students will see a credit hour increase of $51.
The increase, according to the university, is to help offset a $12 million cut in state funding.
The UWF Board of Trustees also voted Thursday morning gave the go ahead to their property development company Business Enterprises, Inc., to purchase the Scenic Hills Country Club for $2.2 million. Business Enterprises, Inc. will make the final purchase decision in the coming weeks.
The purchase will not use any taxpayer dollars. It’s expected to generate additional income for UWF to stabilize the university’s future.
Deputies Seek Armed Robbery Suspects
June 15, 2012
The Santa Rosa County Sheriff’s Office is asking for the public’s help in identifying two suspects in the armed robbery of a Reddy Food Mart at 5500 Highway 87 North on June 10.
One suspect entered the store wearing a hoodie-style sweatshirt and mask, pointed a gun at the clerk and demanded money. The clerk ducked down behind the counter, and the suspect fled the store. Sheriff’s investigators believe a second man seen outside the store during the robbery is also a suspect acting as a lookout.
Anyone with information on the robbery is asked to contact Detective Scott Jones at (850) 981-1242 or Santa Rosa County Crime Stoppers at (850) 437-STOP.
Photos courtesy the Santa Rosa County Sheriff’s Office for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
Republican Congressman: This Country Is In Trouble
June 15, 2012
Congressman Joe Bonner, R-Ala., says there is a dark cloud hanging across America and Congress must be bold in making changes to bail the country out of its current economic condition.
“Our country is in trouble,” Bonner said at a town hall meeting Thursday morning in Atmore. “There’s just a dark cloud that’s seemingly going across the country.”
He said he doesn’t expect Congress to make any sweeping changes before this year’s elections as the deficit continues to multiply.
But the current Congress must, he said, deal with several important issues before year’s end. One is the expiration of Bush-era tax cuts that if not extended will amount to a $500 billion tax increase. Other items that must be extended, Bonner said, are provisions for Medicare reimbursements for doctors, payroll tax cuts and a cap on the federal debt limit. The National Flood Insurance Program is also set to expire, Bonner said.
And end to the flood insurance program will force banks to call in mortgage loans of homes located in expanded flood zones that would no longer have flood insurance, Atmore banker Bob Jones said.
During Thursday’s town hall meeting, Jones also told Bonner that he worries about the potential end to a federal crop insurance program. “We can’t finance it (crops) unless there is a crop insurance program,” he said.
Escambia County (Ala.) Sheriff Grover Smith (pictured left) expresses his concerns to the congressman about immigration laws and mandates to curb drugs from Mexico.
“We need to get together on immigration and get the burden off local law enforcement,” the sheriff said. “We are not equipped; we are not funded.”
“I believe immigration is not something we have to turn to the states to do,” Bonner said. “The federal government has failed the American people.”
Alabama Rep. Alan Baker, also in attendance at Thursday’s Atmore town hall meeting, said he felt the state was forced to implement tough immigration laws. “We felt like the federal government had not done their jobs,” Baker said. “It was out of frustration.”
In the coming months, Bonner said Congress “has got to have the courage to take on social security and medicare.”
“For the future of this country, we’ve got to turn this ship around,” he said.
Pictured above and below: Congressman Joe Bonner, R-Ala., addresses a small crowd during a town hall meeting Thursday morning in Atmore. NorthEscambia.com photos, click to enlarge.
Escambia Man Gets Life Sentence In $2 Million Drug Conspiracy
June 15, 2012
An Escambia County man has been sentenced to life in prison after being convicted on federal drug conspiracy charges.
Leroy Jamal Lymons, 34, was found guilty of participating in a conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute in excess of five kilograms of cocaine in the Northern District of Florida and elsewhere. The testimony at trial established that Lymons was a supervisory-level conspirator in a multi-state drug operation and responsible, along with his co-conspirators, for distributing about 80 kilograms of cocaine between January 1, 2010, and April 21, 2010.
The wholesale value of the cocaine was estimated to be in excess of two million dollars.
The organization was identified and systematically dismantled by a federal task force comprised of federal, state and local officers. The investigation has resulted in multiple federal and state arrests and indictments in Florida and elsewhere, the seizure of additional kilograms of cocaine and thousands of dollars in illegal drug proceeds, and the seizure of vehicles and other assets connected with this conspiracy.
The case was investigated by the United States Drug Enforcement Administration in Pensacola, with the assistance of the Internal Revenue Service-Criminal Investigation Division, the
Pensacola Police Department, and the Escambia County Sheriff’s Department.
Top Early Childhood Educator Honors For Tate High’s Ralph, Student Honors For Reich
June 15, 2012
Linda Ralph of Tate High School has been recognized as the Early Childhood Education (ECE) Academy Instructor of the Year.
Ralph works with each student to ensure each child can achieve a national industry certification, a Child Development Associate (CDA). In her academy, students train in schools and daycare centers where the students get paid for their work. Ralph also had a group of ECE Academy students who won gold and bronze medals at the state SkillsUSA competition.
“We are very excited for Ms. Ralph and for the students,” said Escambia County School Superintendent Malcolm Thomas. “Linda has a great impact on preparing her students to enter the early childhood work force. Many of these students will eventually be teaching in Escambia District classrooms.”
A Tate High ECE on-the-job training student, Shelly Reich, was also honored as an Early Childhood Education Academy Student of the Year.
“She is an excellent student and employee,” Ralph said of Reich, who worked at the Creative School Age Child Care facility. “A real quality young person.”
Rick Scott: I’m Not Dead Yet
June 15, 2012
Six years before he made national headlines, Gov. Rick Scott found himself being purged from voter rolls after local election officials thought he was dead.
Collier County election officials on Thursday confirmed that the governor was required to vote with a provisional ballot for the 2006 primary and general election after county officials mistook him for Richard E. Scott, who died in January 2006 and had the exact same birthday — 12/1/1952 — as Florida’s 45th governor.
Election officials said the governor was required to vote provisionally because local election officials had received a Social Security Death Index Death Record showing that Richard E. Scott died Jan. 27, 2006.
The governor, whose full name is Richard Lynn Scott, recounted his voting difficulties in radio interviews on Thursday as the state tangles with the federal government over just that – how likely is it that elections officials might make a mistake and purge the wrong person from the voter rolls?
An election official noted, however, that despite the initial mistake, both of the governor’s votes were counted.
“I’ve been here for more than seven years and it’s the first time I am aware of somebody who was removed for being deceased and it was a mistake,” said Tim Durham, Collier County deputy election supervisor. “It was the exact same name, Florida resident, identical date of birth.”
Scott mentioned his brief, encounter with the state’s provisional ballots during an interview with Preston Scott on WFLA Radio in Tallahassee Thursday morning.
“I had to vote provisionally because they said I’d passed away,” Scott said. “So I said, ‘I’m here, here’s my driver’s license, I’m really alive.’ And so they allowed me to vote provisionally. And then they went back and checked and said I was alive.”
Scott later repeated a version of the story in an interview with a Tampa station.
The revelation couldn’t have come at a more opportune time for Scott, who is battling with federal officials over the state’s effort to purge ineligible voters from Florida rolls.
Critics have said Scott’s efforts would disenfranchise some eligible voters mistakenly included in the list of those not allowed to cast ballots. But Durham said since Scott’s provisional votes were counted in 2006 – under a system set up following the 2000 recount to allow contested ballots to be cast and counted – it proves the system protects legitimate voters.
Scott spokesman Lane Wright said Thursday that the governor’s personal vignette bolsters his contention that the push to purge the voting rolls would not prevent eligible voters from casting ballots.
Florida’s provisional ballot process allows contested voters to cast ballots and requires local election officials to verify their status within 30 days.
“If there is any error, it is not going to prevent someone from voting,” Wright said Thursday.
Over the past several weeks, Scott has been at the center of the storm as state and federal agencies battle over a Scott-backed attempt to purge ineligible voters from the rolls. The Florida Secretary of State and the U.S. Department of Justice have traded lawsuits over the issue.
“The system is set up so that people can vote,” Wright said.
By The News Service of Florida
Two Charged With Holding Man Hostage For $300 Drug Debt
June 15, 2012
Two Escambia County men are charged with kidnapping a man and holding him hostage for ransom to settle up a $300 drug debt.
Michael Shawn Hastings, 39, and Nathan Anton Vazques, 33, were both charged with kidnapping an adult for ransom. Both were booked into the Escambia County Jail with bond set at $50,000.
The victim’s wife told Escambia County Sheriff’s deputies that she received a call at 1:30 in the morning from a man calling himself “Slick” informing her that her husband was being held captive until she delivered $300 in cash to the Bayou Grande trailer park. She was told, according to the Sheriff’s Office, to come alone and not call the police.
As the victim’s wife was talking to a deputy, another call demanding the ransom cash came in, and the deputy was able to listen as the caller detailed where to take the cash and what the persons she needed to meet look like.
More deputies were dispatched to the Bayou Grand trailer park where Hastings and Vazques were detained.
The victim had escaped his captors and was found a short distance away. He told deputies that a guy he knew as “Nate” forced him to get money for the narcotics he had used. He drove him to an ATM, but he was unable to get the cash at which time he was beaten up and taken back to the trailer park. Then “Nate” and another male began calling his wife demanding the $300, he reported to deputies.