Florida's prisons ineffective and outdated
A moment with... is an opinion feature in which The Palm Beach Post Editorial Board asks community leaders for their take on issues affecting our community and the state. Denise Rock, executive director & founding member of Florida Cares Charity Corp., a nonprofit based in West Palm Beach that works with the incarcerated and their families, discusses the state of Florida prisons. Her comments have been edited for clarity and space. The full interview can be seen online.
1. Give us your assessment on the current state of Florida prisons.
The Florida’s prison system is ineffective and outdated. Most, if not all of the facilities, are understaffed and the buildings are old and unkept. The food is not healthy, nor does it help to nourish people and is probably making incarcerated people sick. The unintended consequences could be significant to taxpayers, in having to pay for costly cancer treatment for the incarcerated and upon release.
2. COVID was the problem. Now it’s staff shortages and shutting down of facilities. Why haven’t these problems resonated with society?
Media, politicians and movies have used a broad brush to paint an image of those behind bars as the worst of the worst. They use the rare example of someone who was incarcerated and re-offended, as if we live in a perfect world. The public then views people in prison as less than human and begins to think everyone behind bars deserves less than bare minimum care. Until you are incarcerated or have someone you care about who is incarcerated, people have no idea of what is going on inside of the prisons. They think it’s not their problem because they are not incarcerated, or don’t know anyone who is incarcerated, not realizing a bar fight, one drink too many or a wrong-turn causing a car crash with injuries can send anyone to prison.
We are an angry world right now and want people to suffer. The punishment of prison and the suffering in prison, though, occurs when that person can’t be at home for the holidays, when they can’t tuck their child into bed at night, when they can’t go to their mother's funeral. The punishment is being locked away. We don’t need to neglect people who are incarcerated or provide substandard care. They are still human beings.
3. Do these problems extend to Florida’s network of privately run prisons?
Absolutely. Incarcerated people and their loved ones have reported these very same things from South Bay Correctional Facility, which is a private prison located right here in Palm Beach County.
4. What is the worst-case scenario that a dysfunctional prison system could create for communities?
The cost to taxpayers increases significantly as we over-incarcerate people who are no longer a threat to society. Someone who committed a robbery when he was in his 20’s and is now in his 50’s being used as key personnel in the prison, should not be incarcerated. Nor should people in walkers and wheelchairs. Yes, there are really people in prison in walkers in wheelchairs. In doing this, we are continuing to perpetuate the same in the coming years.
Taxes will continue to increase if we continue to incarcerate those who are sick, elderly and low-risk. Even if you don’t have a loved one who is incarcerated, you should want the criminal justice system in Florida changed so that it is a rehabilitative system, not a punitive system, as studies show over 90% of the people incarcerated are going to be released one day. If we continue on this path, they will be released into our communities as our neighbors, being a burden rather than the contributors they can be.
5. Where in state government is the fix and why hasn’t it happened?
Several ideas and options have been proposed to address the over-incarceration of Florida over the past few years. The roadblocks, however, lie with the Legislature's leadership and the governor. They are not listening to what citizens of Florida are saying. They are not listening to what victims of crime are saying. They are not listening to what faith leaders who call for second chances have to say and they are certainly not listening to those who have a loved one who is incarcerated.