From: Stingett8@cs.com [mailto:Stingett8@cs.com]
Sent: Thursday, December 12, 2002 11:15 PM
To: fl_governor@myflorida.com
Subject: prison space

My question is how many beds are there total in all of the Florida prisons? I see that as each month passes by the numbers of inmates keep getting bigger and bigger. I understand that people are coming out of prison just as they are going in prison, but the numbers of incarcerated people in Florida keeps growing. Could you please tell me what is the maximum amount of people that the Florida prisons will hold?
Thanks
STINGER & STINGETT

---

From: "Belcher, Judy" <Belcher.Judy@mail.dc.state.fl.us>
To: "'Stingett8@cs.com'" <Stingett8@cs.com>
Subject: RE: prison space
Date: Fri, 13 Dec 2002 16:00:37 -0500

Dear Sir or Madam:

Governor Bush asked me to thank you for your message and your interest in the Department of Corrections. The prison population is approximately 72,007** at this time. The total capacity of our prison system is 78,617. You may keep up with population changes on our web site at http://www.dc.state.fl.us. Click on Publications and Statistics and then on Statistics in Brief.

Judy Belcher, Liaison for Governor's Correspondence
Florida Department of Corrections

** For actual Florida prison population see https://www.angelfire.com/fl4/fci/docpop.html

---

Sheriff: We need more jail space
Lake City Reporter - News

By SHUNDA DAVIS
sdavis@lakecityreporter.com
Lake City Reporter
December 13, 2002

Sheriff Frank Owens said overcrowding at the Columbia County Detention Center has reached a critical level and is asking the county to pay for the temporary housing of inmates at jails in neighboring counties.

Last week, he asked the County Commission to approve a request that allows him to contract with other sheriff's offices to provide housing for up to 60 inmates.

"We need to get the number of inmates down to a reasonable level so that we can house them safely and securely and right now we can't," said Owens.

The detention center's capacity on a daily basis is about 275 inmates. In 1985, the $3.5 million facility was built to house about 249 prisoners.

In October the average number of inmates was 309. And in November it averaged 335 prisoners.

"There are too many people and not enough beds," said Capt. Jim Wells.

Last week there were more than 60 inmates sleeping on the floor, according to a written statement to the county from Owens.

Owens, who's been in office since 1996, also is recommending to the county that it hire a visiting judge for at least two days every month to conduct hearings in cases involving violation of probation or similar cases and get the inmates out of their facility and into state prisons.

A meeting of the County Commission has been called for 11 a.m. today at the Columbia County Courthouse in Courtroom 2 to discuss the conditions at the detention center.

Lisa Roberts, assistant county coordinator said the county has hired a consultant, Clemons, Rutherford and Associates, to look at the possibility of building another jail or expanding the old one.

It has submitted a preliminary report and it is under review. Owens said he expects to have a final report sometime after Jan. 1.