944.01 – Short Title.

944.01 Short title.—This act may be cited as “The Florida Corrections Code of 1957.” History.—s. 45, ch. 57-121.

944.012 – Legislative Intent.

944.012 Legislative intent.—The Legislature hereby finds and declares that: (1) Florida spends each year in excess of $60 million for its state correctional system, but Florida citizens have not received a fair return on that investment. Florida correctional institutions have contributed little to the reduction of crime. To the contrary, crime rates continue to rise; recidivism rates […]

944.02 – Definitions.

944.02 Definitions.—The following words and phrases used in this chapter shall, unless the context clearly indicates otherwise, have the following meanings: (1) “Commission” means the Florida Commission on Offender Review. (2) “Correctional system” means all prisons and other state correctional institutions now existing or hereafter created under the jurisdiction of the Department of Corrections. (3) “Department” means the Department […]

944.023 – Comprehensive Correctional Master Plan.

944.023 Comprehensive correctional master plan.— (1) As used in this section, the term: (a) “Criminal Justice Estimating Conference” means the Criminal Justice Estimating Conference referred to in s. 216.136(5). (b) “Total capacity” of the state correctional system means the total design capacity of all institutions and facilities in the state correctional system, which may include those facilities authorized and […]

944.0231 – Reduction of Capacity.

944.0231 Reduction of capacity.— (1) When the population of the state correctional system exceeds 100 percent of its total capacity, as defined in s. 944.023, and remains in excess of 100 percent of total capacity for 21 days, the Governor, pursuant to s. 252.36, may use his or her emergency powers to reduce the population of the […]

944.024 – Adult Intake and Evaluation.

944.024 Adult intake and evaluation.—The state system of adult intake and evaluation shall include: (1) The performance of pretrial investigation through a decentralized community-based procedure. (2) Assistance in the evaluation of offenders for diversion from the criminal justice system or referral to residential or nonresidential programs. (3) The provision of secure detention services for pretrial detainees who are unable […]

944.026 – Community-Based Facilities and Programs.

944.026 Community-based facilities and programs.— (1) In addition to those facilities and services described elsewhere in this chapter, the department shall develop, provide, or contract for a statewide system of community-based facilities, services, and programs dealing with the rehabilitation of offenders, which shall include, but not be limited to: (a) A system of community correctional centers to be […]

944.033 – Community Correctional Centers; Existence; Location; Purpose; Restriction.

944.033 Community correctional centers; existence; location; purpose; restriction.— (1) A statewide system of correctional facilities is established to be known as “community correctional centers.” (2) The purpose of these centers is to facilitate the reintegration of state inmates back into the community by means of participation in various work-release, study-release, community service, substance abuse treatment, and other rehabilitative […]

944.053 – Forestry Work Camps.

944.053 Forestry Work Camps.— (1) The Department of Corrections shall operate a system of Forestry Work Camps on sites that are conducive to providing a meaningful work experience by having inmates clean the environment and beautify this state. The Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services shall determine and make available sites for placement of Forestry Work Camps. […]

944.0611 – Department Employees; Personal Vehicle Damage Claims.

944.0611 Department employees; personal vehicle damage claims.—Employees of the Department of Corrections who are required to use their personal vehicles in the performance of their duty may file claims for damages made to their personal vehicles while on official state business. Such claims for reimbursement may be filed with the department at its office in accordance […]

944.08 – Commitment to Custody of Department; Venue of Institutions.

944.08 Commitment to custody of department; venue of institutions.— (1) The words “penitentiary,” “state prison,” or “state prison farm,” whenever the same are used in any of the laws of this state, as a place of confinement or punishment for a crime, shall be construed to mean and refer to the custody of the Department of Corrections […]

944.09 – Rules of the Department; Offenders, Probationers, and Parolees.

944.09 Rules of the department; offenders, probationers, and parolees.— (1) The department has authority to adopt rules pursuant to ss. 120.536(1) and 120.54 to implement its statutory authority. The rules must include rules relating to: (a) The rights of inmates. (b) The conduct to be observed by inmates and the categories of violations according to degrees or levels of […]

944.091 – United States Prisoners, Board Authorized.

944.091 United States prisoners, board authorized.—The department is authorized upon request to board prisoners of the United States committed to their custody by any agency of the United States if such prisoners have less than 6 months remaining of their federal sentence, and if such prisoners have family relationships or job opportunities in this state, on […]

944.095 – Siting of Additional Correctional Facilities; Procedure.

944.095 Siting of additional correctional facilities; procedure.— (1) It is the intent of the Legislature that the siting of additional correctional facilities shall be achieved in the most cost-efficient manner possible. (2) When the department proposes a site for a state correctional facility, it shall request that the local government having jurisdiction over such proposed site determine whether […]

944.096 – Budget Requests for Residential Facility Construction; Estimates; Appropriations; Population in Excess of Capacity.

944.096 Budget requests for residential facility construction; estimates; appropriations; population in excess of capacity.— (1) Beginning October 1, 1983, all legislative budget requests for the construction of additional residential facilities in the Department of Corrections shall utilize the estimates of the Criminal Justice Estimating Conference. The estimates shall be based on current legal and constitutional standards and […]

944.10 – Department of Corrections to Provide Buildings; Sale and Purchase of Land; Contracts to Provide Services and Inmate Labor.

944.10 Department of Corrections to provide buildings; sale and purchase of land; contracts to provide services and inmate labor.— (1) It is the intent of the Legislature to expedite the siting of, acquisition of land for, and construction by the Department of Corrections of state correctional facilities operated by the department or a private vendor under contract […]

944.105 – Contractual Arrangements With Private Entities for Operation and Maintenance of Correctional Facilities and Supervision of Inmates.

944.105 Contractual arrangements with private entities for operation and maintenance of correctional facilities and supervision of inmates.— (1) The Department of Corrections is authorized to enter into contracts with private vendors for the provision of the operation and maintenance of correctional facilities and the supervision of inmates. However, no such contract shall be entered into or renewed […]

944.11 – Department to Regulate Admission of Books.

944.11 Department to regulate admission of books.— (1) The department shall regulate the admission of educational and other reading matter within the state institutions for the use of the prisoners, and for the proper observance of days of religious significance within the institutions and for the proper instruction of the prisoners in their basic moral and religious […]

944.115 – Smoking Prohibited Inside State Correctional Facilities.

944.115 Smoking prohibited inside state correctional facilities.— (1) The purpose of this section is to protect the health, comfort, and environment of employees of the Department of Corrections, employees of privately operated correctional facilities, and inmates by prohibiting inmates from using tobacco products inside any office or building within state correctional facilities, and by ensuring that employees […]

944.14 – Supervision of Correctional Institutions; Enforcement of Orders and Regulations.

944.14 Supervision of correctional institutions; enforcement of orders and regulations.—Subject to the orders, policies, and regulations established by the department, it shall be the duty of the wardens to supervise the government, discipline, and policy of the state correctional institutions, and to enforce all orders, rules and regulations. History.—s. 12, ch. 57-121; s. 18, ch. 61-530; […]