Senate Bill 1742

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    Florida Senate - 1999                                  SB 1742

    By Senator Brown-Waite





    10-1138-99

  1                      A bill to be entitled

  2         An act relating to the Department of

  3         Corrections; amending s. 20.315, F.S.; revising

  4         department goals; revising the organization of

  5         the state correctional system; authorizing the

  6         Secretary of Corrections to appoint assistant

  7         secretaries, directors, and other persons in

  8         specified areas of program responsibility;

  9         providing for the administration of department

10         operations through regions; deleting

11         requirements that the regions follow judicial

12         circuits; deleting provisions authorizing the

13         appointment of regional directors; revising

14         requirements for the annual department budget;

15         amending ss. 944.31, 944.331, F.S.; providing

16         for the department's office of general counsel

17         rather than the inspector general to oversee

18         inmate grievances; providing an effective date.

19

20  Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida:

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22         Section 1.  Section 20.315, Florida Statutes, 1998

23  Supplement, is amended to read:

24         20.315  Department of Corrections.--There is created a

25  Department of Corrections.

26         (1)  PURPOSE.--The purpose of the Department of

27  Corrections is to protect the public through the incarceration

28  and supervision of offenders and to rehabilitate offenders

29  through the application of work, programs, and services. The

30  goals of the department shall be:

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  1         (a)  To protect society by providing incarceration that

  2  will support the intentions of established criminal law.

  3         (b)  To ensure that inmates work while they are

  4  incarcerated and that the department makes every effort to

  5  collect restitution and other monetary assessments from

  6  inmates while they are incarcerated or under supervision.

  7         (c)  To work in partnerships with local communities to

  8  further efforts toward crime prevention.

  9         (d)  To provide a safe and humane environment for

10  offenders and staff in which rehabilitation is possible.  This

11  should include the protection of the offender from

12  victimization within the institution and the development of a

13  system of due process, where applicable.

14         (e)  To provide appropriate supervision for offenders

15  released on community supervision, based on public safety

16  risks and offender needs, and, in conjunction with the

17  judiciary, public safety agencies, and local communities,

18  develop safe, community-based alternatives to traditional

19  incarceration.

20         (f)  To provide programs, which may include academic,

21  vocational, and career education and treatment, to

22  incarcerated offenders and supervised offenders which will

23  prepare them for occupations available in the community.

24         (g)  To provide library services at correctional

25  institutions, which includes general and law library services.

26         (h)  To provide judges with effective evaluative tools

27  and information for use in sentencing decisions.

28         (i)  To provide the level of security in institutions

29  commensurate with the custody requirements and management

30  needs of inmates.

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  1         (j)  To ensure that the rights and needs of crime

  2  victims are recognized and met, including the need for the

  3  victim to be timely notified of the release or escape of an

  4  inmate utilize advanced technology to accomplish the

  5  responsibilities of the department.

  6         (2)  LEGISLATIVE INTENT.--It is the intent of the

  7  Legislature that:

  8         (a)  The department focus its attention on the removal

  9  of barriers that could prevent the inmate's successful return

10  to society while supervising and incarcerating offenders at a

11  level of security commensurate with the danger they present to

12  the public.

13         (b)  The department work in partnership with

14  communities in the construction of facilities and the

15  development of programs to offenders.

16         (c)  The department develop a comprehensive program for

17  the treatment of youthful offenders and other special needs

18  offenders committed to the department, including female,

19  elderly, and disabled offenders.

20         (d)  The department pursue partnerships with other

21  governmental entities and private industry for the purpose of

22  furthering mutual goals and expanding work and educational

23  opportunities for offenders.

24         (3)  SECRETARY OF CORRECTIONS.--The head of the

25  Department of Corrections is the Secretary of Corrections.

26  The secretary is appointed by the Governor, subject to

27  confirmation by the Senate, and shall serve at the pleasure of

28  the Governor.  The secretary is responsible for planning,

29  coordinating, and managing the corrections system of the

30  state.  The secretary shall ensure that the programs and

31  services of the department are administered in accordance with

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  1  state and federal laws, rules, and regulations, with

  2  established program standards, and consistent with legislative

  3  intent.  The secretary shall identify the need for and

  4  recommend funding for the secure and efficient operation of

  5  the state correctional system.

  6         (a)  The secretary shall appoint a deputy secretary.

  7  The deputy secretary shall be directly responsible to the

  8  secretary and shall serve at the pleasure of the secretary.

  9         (b)  The secretary shall appoint a general counsel and

10  an inspector general, who are exempt from part II of chapter

11  110 and are included in the Senior Management Service.

12         (c)  The secretary may shall appoint assistant

13  secretaries, directors, or other such persons that he or she

14  deems are necessary to accomplish the mission and goals of the

15  department, including, but not limited to, the following areas

16  of program responsibility: an Assistant Secretary for

17         1.  Security and institutional operations, which shall

18  provide Management responsible for providing inmate work

19  programs, offender programs, security administration,

20  emergency operations response, and operational oversight of

21  technical assistance to the regions.

22         2.(d)  The secretary shall appoint an Assistant

23  Secretary of Health services, which who shall be headed by a

24  physician licensed under chapter 458 or an osteopathic

25  physician licensed under chapter 459, or a professionally

26  trained health care administrator with progressively

27  responsible experience in health care administration.  This

28  individual shall be responsible for the delivery of health

29  services to offenders within the system and shall have direct

30  professional authority over such services.

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  1         (e)  The secretary shall appoint an Assistant Secretary

  2  for Executive Services responsible for the provision of

  3  support to the agency through the management of human

  4  resources, research, planning and evaluation, and technology.

  5         3.(f)  The secretary shall appoint an Assistant

  6  Secretary for Community corrections, which shall provide

  7  responsible for coordination of community alternatives to

  8  incarceration and operational oversight of community

  9  corrections regions.

10         4.(g)  Administrative services, which shall provide The

11  secretary shall appoint an Assistant Secretary for

12  Administration, responsible for the budget and accounting

13  services activities within the department, including the

14  construction and maintenance of correctional institutions,

15  human-resource management, research, planning and evaluation,

16  and technology.

17         5.(h)  Program services, which shall provide for the

18  direct management and supervision of all departmental

19  programs, including The secretary shall appoint an Assistant

20  Secretary for Education and Job Training, responsible for the

21  coordination and delivery of education and job training to the

22  offenders in the custody of the department.

23         (4)  REGIONS.--The department shall plan and administer

24  its program of services for community corrections, security,

25  and institutional operations through regions through a maximum

26  of five regional offices.  The secretary shall establish the

27  geographical boundaries of each region.  In establishing each

28  region, the secretary shall, to the extent possible, follow

29  the boundaries of the judicial circuits and balance the

30  regions by geographical size or workload of the department.

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  1         (a)  The secretary shall appoint regional directors who

  2  shall serve at the pleasure of the secretary.  Though

  3  organizationally located within the office of the Assistant

  4  Secretary for Security and Institutional Management for

  5  administrative purposes, the regional directors are

  6  accountable to the secretary for administration of all affairs

  7  under their jurisdiction. The secretary shall develop

  8  performance agreements with each assistant secretary and

  9  regional director each biennium.  Such agreements shall

10  evaluate the execution of the agency mission, strategic plan,

11  and performance budget measures and outcomes.

12         (b)  Each regional director shall appoint, with the

13  advice and consent of the secretary, the following offices

14  within the region.  Each shall be headed by a director and

15  shall be classified at a level of division director:

16         1.  Administration.

17         2.  Community Corrections.

18         3.  Executive Services.

19         4.  Security and Institutional Management.

20         5.  Health Care Administration.

21         6.  Education and Job Training.

22         (5)  ANNUAL REPORTING.--The department shall report

23  annually to the Governor, the President of the Senate, and the

24  Speaker of the House of Representatives recounting its

25  activities and making recommendations for improvements to the

26  performance of the department.

27         (6)  FLORIDA CORRECTIONS COMMISSION.--

28         (a)1.  The Florida Corrections Commission is hereby

29  created. The primary focus of the commission shall be on

30  corrections; however, in those instances in which the policies

31  of other components of the criminal justice system affect

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  1  corrections, the commission shall advise and make

  2  recommendations.

  3         2.  The commission shall consist of nine members

  4  appointed by the Governor subject to confirmation by the

  5  Senate. The initial members of the commission shall be

  6  appointed by October 1, 1994. Members of the commission shall

  7  serve terms of 4 years each, except that four of the initial

  8  members shall be appointed for terms of 2 years each. Members

  9  must be appointed in such a manner as to equitably represent

10  all geographic areas of the state. Each member of the

11  commission must be a citizen and registered voter of the

12  state. A member of the commission shall represent the public

13  safety needs of the state as a whole and may not subordinate

14  the needs of the state to those of any particular area of the

15  state. The commission's membership should, to the extent

16  possible, contain persons who are knowledgeable about

17  construction, health care, information technology, education,

18  business, food services, law, and inmate and youthful offender

19  rehabilitation and services.

20         3.  The commission is assigned to the office of the

21  Secretary of Corrections for administrative and fiscal

22  accountability purposes, but it shall otherwise function

23  independently of the control and direction of the Department

24  of Corrections.

25         (b)  The primary functions of the commission are to:

26         1.  Recommend major correctional policies for the

27  Governor's approval, and assure that approved policies and any

28  revisions thereto are properly executed.

29         2.  Periodically review the status of the state

30  correctional system and recommend improvements therein to the

31  Governor and the Legislature.

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  1         3.  Annually perform an in-depth review of

  2  community-based intermediate sanctions and recommend to the

  3  Governor and the Legislature intergovernmental approaches

  4  through the Community Corrections Partnership Act for planning

  5  and implementing such sanctions and programs.

  6         4.  Perform an in-depth evaluation of the annual budget

  7  request of the Department of Corrections, the comprehensive

  8  correctional master plan, and the tentative construction

  9  program for compliance with all applicable laws and

10  established departmental policies. The commission may not

11  consider individual construction projects, but shall consider

12  methods of accomplishing the department's goals in the most

13  effective, efficient, and businesslike manner.

14         5.  Routinely monitor the financial status of the

15  Department of Corrections to assure that the department is

16  managing revenue and any applicable bond proceeds responsibly

17  and in accordance with law and established policy.

18         6.  Evaluate, at least quarterly, the efficiency,

19  productivity, and management of the Department of Corrections,

20  using performance and production standards developed by the

21  department under subsection (18).

22         7.  Provide public education on corrections and

23  criminal justice issues.

24         8.  Report to the President of the Senate, the Speaker

25  of the House of Representatives, and the Governor by November

26  1 of each year.

27         (c)  The commission or a member thereof may not enter

28  into the day-to-day operation of the Department of Corrections

29  and is specifically prohibited from taking part in:

30         1.  The awarding of contracts by the department.

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  1         2.  The selection by the department of a consultant or

  2  contractor or the prequalification by the department of any

  3  individual consultant or contractor. However, the commission

  4  may recommend to the Secretary of Corrections standards and

  5  policies governing the procedure for selection and

  6  prequalification of consultants and contractors.

  7         3.  The selection by the department of a county for a

  8  specific project.

  9         4.  The selection by the department of a specific

10  location for a correctional facility.

11         5.  The employment, promotion, demotion, suspension,

12  transfer, or discharge of any departmental personnel.

13         6.  The enforcement of minimum standards for any county

14  or municipal detention facility.

15         (d)1.  The chair of the commission shall be selected by

16  the members for a term of 1 year.

17         2.  The commission shall hold a minimum of four regular

18  meetings annually, and other meetings may be called by the

19  chair upon giving at least 7 days' notice to all members and

20  the public pursuant to chapter 120. Meetings may also be held

21  upon the written request of at least four members, upon at

22  least 7 days' notice of such meeting being given to all

23  members and the public by the chair pursuant to chapter 120.

24  Emergency meetings may be held without notice upon the request

25  of all members. The meetings of the commission shall be held

26  in the central office of the Department of Corrections in

27  Tallahassee unless the chair determines that special

28  circumstances warrant meeting at another location.

29         3.  A majority of the membership of the commission

30  constitutes a quorum at any meeting of the commission. An

31  action of the commission is not binding unless the action is

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  1  taken pursuant to an affirmative vote of a majority of the

  2  members present, but not fewer than four members of the

  3  commission must be present, and the vote must be recorded in

  4  the minutes of the meeting.

  5         4.  The chair shall cause to be made a complete record

  6  of the proceedings of the commission, which record shall be

  7  open for public inspection.

  8         (e)  The commission shall appoint an executive director

  9  and an assistant executive director, who shall serve under the

10  direction, supervision, and control of the commission. The

11  executive director, with the consent of the commission, shall

12  employ such staff as are necessary to perform adequately the

13  functions of the commission, within budgetary limitations. All

14  employees of the commission are exempt from part II of chapter

15  110 and serve at the pleasure of the commission. The salaries

16  and benefits of all employees of the commission shall be set

17  in accordance with the Selected Exempt Service rules; however,

18  the commission shall have complete authority for fixing the

19  salaries of the executive director and the assistant executive

20  director. The executive director and staff of the Task Force

21  for Review of the Criminal Justice and Corrections System,

22  created under chapter 93-404, Laws of Florida, shall serve as

23  the staff for the commission until the commission hires an

24  executive director.

25         (f)  Members of the commission are entitled to per diem

26  and travel expenses pursuant to s. 112.061.

27         (g)  A member of the commission may not have any

28  interest, direct or indirect, in any contract, franchise,

29  privilege, or other benefit granted or awarded by the

30  department during the term of his or her appointment and for 2

31  years after the termination of that appointment.

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  1         (h)  The commission shall develop a budget pursuant to

  2  chapter 216. The budget is not subject to change by the

  3  department, but such budget shall be submitted to the Governor

  4  along with the budget of the department.

  5         (7)  DEPARTMENTAL BUDGETS.--

  6         (a)  The secretary shall develop and submit annually to

  7  the Legislature a comprehensive departmental budget request

  8  document. This summary document shall, for the purpose of

  9  legislative appropriation, consist of four distinct budget

10  entities:

11         1.  Department Administration.

12         2.  Department Operations.

13         3.  Health Services.

14         4.  Education and Job Training.

15         (b)  The department shall revise its budget entity

16  designations to conform with the four distinct budget

17  entities, or to the such other budget entities as are

18  designated by the Executive Office of the Governor under

19  pursuant to s. 216.0235.  The department, consistent in

20  accordance with chapter 216, may shall transfer, as necessary,

21  funds and positions among budget entities to realign

22  appropriations with the revised budget entity designations.

23  Such authorized revisions must be consistent with the intent

24  of the approved operating budget. The various regional budget

25  requests developed shall be included in the comprehensive

26  department budget document.  The department shall periodically

27  review the appropriateness of the budget entity designations

28  and the adequacy of its delegated authority to transfer funds

29  between entities and submit the reviews to the Governor's

30  office of Planning and Budget.  To fulfill this

31  responsibility, the secretary shall have the authority to

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  1  review, amend, and approve the annual budget requests of all

  2  departmental activities. Recommendations on departmental

  3  budget priorities shall be furnished to the secretary by the

  4  deputy secretary, assistant secretaries, and regional

  5  directors.

  6         (c)  It is the responsibility of the Assistant

  7  Secretary for Administration to promulgate the necessary

  8  budget timetables, formats, and data requirements for all

  9  departmental budget requests.  This shall be done in

10  accordance with statewide budget requirements of the Executive

11  Office of the Governor.

12         (d)  It is the responsibility of the regional directors

13  to develop an annual budget request to be reviewed, amended,

14  and approved by the secretary and incorporated into the agency

15  budget request.

16         (8)  PLACEMENT OF OFFENDERS.--The department shall

17  classify its programs according to the character and range of

18  services available for its clients. The department shall place

19  each offender in the program or facility most appropriate to

20  the offender's needs, subject to budgetary limitations and the

21  availability of space.

22         (9)  DISCHARGE FROM COMMITMENT.--When the law grants to

23  an agent, officer, or administrator of the Department of

24  Corrections the authority to make a discharge from commitment,

25  such authority shall be vested in the Secretary of Corrections

26  or in any agent who, in his or her discretion, the secretary

27  may authorize.

28         (10)  FORM OF COMMITMENT; NOTICE OF PAROLE

29  VIOLATION.--All commitments shall state the statutory

30  authority therefor. The Secretary of Corrections shall have

31  the authority to prescribe the form to be used for

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  1  commitments.  Nothing in this act shall be construed to

  2  abridge the authority and responsibility of the Parole

  3  Commission with respect to the granting and revocation of

  4  parole. The Department of Corrections shall notify the Parole

  5  Commission of all violations of parole conditions and provide

  6  reports connected thereto as may be requested by the

  7  commission. The commission shall have the authority to issue

  8  orders dealing with supervision of specific parolees, and such

  9  orders shall be binding on all parties.

10         (11)  SINGLE INFORMATION AND RECORDS SYSTEM.--There

11  shall be only one offender-based information and records

12  system maintained by the Department of Corrections for the

13  joint use of the department and the Parole Commission. This

14  data system is managed through the Justice Data Center, which

15  is hereby transferred to the department under this act

16  pursuant to a type two transfer authorized under s. 20.06(2).

17  The department shall develop and maintain, in consultation

18  with the Criminal and Juvenile Justice Information Systems

19  Council under s. 943.08, such offender-based information

20  system designed to serve the needs of both the department and

21  the Parole Commission. The department shall notify the

22  commission of all violations of parole and the circumstances

23  thereof.

24         (12)  TRANSFER OF AUTHORITY.--All statutory functions

25  of the department not otherwise herein assigned to a specific

26  unit of the department are assigned generally to the

27  department and may be allocated and reallocated by the

28  secretary to an authorized unit of the department.

29         (13)  PURCHASE OF SERVICES.--Whenever possible, the

30  department, in accordance with the established program

31  objectives and performance criteria, may contract for the

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  1  provision of services by counties, municipalities, nonprofit

  2  corporations, and other entities capable of providing needed

  3  services, if services so provided are more cost-efficient,

  4  cost-effective, or timely than those provided by the

  5  department or available to it under existing law.

  6         Section 2.  Section 944.31, Florida Statutes, is

  7  amended to read:

  8         944.31  Inspector general; inspectors; power and

  9  duties.--The inspector general shall be responsible for prison

10  inspection and investigation, internal affairs investigations,

11  inmate grievances, and management reviews. The office of the

12  inspector general shall be charged with the duty of inspecting

13  the penal and correctional systems of the state. The office of

14  the inspector general shall inspect each correctional

15  institution or any place in which state prisoners are housed,

16  worked, or kept within the state, with reference to its

17  physical conditions, cleanliness, sanitation, safety, and

18  comfort; the quality and supply of all bedding; the quality,

19  quantity, and diversity of food served and the manner in which

20  it is served; the number and condition of the prisoners

21  confined therein; and the general conditions of each

22  institution. The office of inspector general shall see that

23  all the rules and regulations issued by the department are

24  strictly observed and followed by all persons connected with

25  the correctional systems of the state.  The office of the

26  inspector general shall coordinate and supervise the work of

27  inspectors throughout the state. The inspector general and

28  inspectors may enter any place where prisoners in this state

29  are kept and shall be immediately admitted to such place as

30  they desire and may consult and confer with any prisoner

31  privately and without molestation.  The inspector general and

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  1  inspectors shall be responsible for criminal and

  2  administrative investigation of matters relating to the

  3  Department of Corrections. In such investigations, the

  4  inspector general and inspectors may consult and confer with

  5  any prisoner or staff member privately and without molestation

  6  and shall have the authority to detain any person for

  7  violations of the criminal laws of the state. Such detention

  8  shall be made only on properties owned or leased by the

  9  department, and the detained person shall be surrendered

10  without delay to the sheriff of the county in which the

11  detention is made, with a formal complaint subsequently made

12  against her or him in accordance with law.

13         Section 3.  Section 944.331, Florida Statutes, is

14  amended to read:

15         944.331  Inmate grievance procedure.--The department

16  shall establish by rule an inmate grievance procedure that

17  must which shall conform to the Minimum Standards for Inmate

18  Grievance Procedures as promulgated by the United States

19  Department of Justice pursuant to 42 U.S.C. s. 1997e. The

20  department's office of general counsel shall oversee the

21  grievance procedures established by the department.

22         Section 4.  This act shall take effect upon becoming a

23  law.

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  1            *****************************************

  2                          SENATE SUMMARY

  3    Revises the internal organization of the Department of
      Corrections. Authorizes the Secretary of Corrections to
  4    appoint assistant secretaries, directors, and other
      persons to administer various areas of program
  5    responsibility. Deletes a limitation on the maximum
      number of departmental regions. Deletes a requirement
  6    that the regions conform to judicial circuits. Revises
      requirements for the department's annual budget. Requires
  7    that the department's office of general counsel rather
      than the inspector general oversee inmate grievance
  8    procedures. (See bill for details.)

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