McNeil proposes statewide jail system
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The Associated Press
Published: July 15, 2008
The new leader of Florida’s prison system thinks he’s come up with a better and cheaper way to incarcerate some inmates.
Corrections Secretary Walt McNeil wants to create a state jail system to house lower risk inmates serving less than 18 months. That would typically include drug offenders and probation violators.
It costs more than $50 per inmate a day to run a prison.
McNeil says smaller jail facilities with about 400 inmates would cost less to build and operate.
The inmates would serve their time in their home counties. It’s hoped that would help them maintain closer ties with their families, treatment programs and employers.
Assistant Secretary for Institutions George Sapp says helping inmates keep those connections should help them stay out of trouble when they’re released.
The Department of Corrections is studying how much a jail system would cost.
Sapp says prison officials are looking for a county to test the idea in a pilot program.
The proposal is still in the budding stages and will be presented to state lawmakers during next year’s spring legislative session.
(Copyright 2008 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)
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