Florida Prisoners Headed to Other States

By ohmygov.com
Published: 06/29/2009

Just like the drugs they deal, Florida prisoners headed to other states

Future inmates of Florida may take an unexpected road trip after incarceration. According to a new bill signed by Governor Charlie Crist, prisoners may be shipped out of state to serve their time. The legislation comes during a moment of crisis convergence between a devastated economy and a burgeoning prison population, and while unfamiliar terrain may make escape more difficult for the Floridian exiles, the measure is a compromise that few seem comfortable about.

With over 100,000 current inmates, Florida’s prison bill is the latest in a number of cost-cutting measures. Last March, officials even began housing inmates in tents. With the recently signed legislation, Florida will become the fifteenth state to export prisoners. It will allow corrections officers to send inmates to other state, local, and private prisons outside Florida borders.

The prison diversion program (SB 1722) represents the state’s response to both the recession and its large inmate population. “We were looking for how we could not have to build any new prison beds if we could help it," said State Sen. Victor Crist, who supervises criminal justice spending. “This was an option at our disposal.â€