This is where it all begins—
The Central Square:
Several problems with the use of force, delays in reporting, and controls over access to information technology were found during an audit of the Florida Department of Corrections (DOC).
While working with the Department of Corrections (DOC), the Florida Auditor General (AG) examined records pertaining to maintenance requests, incident reporting, and the inmate welfare trust fund for state-operated institutions.
The Florida Department of Corrections maintained records from July 2021 to February 2023, covering 50 state-operated correctional facilities. Among these records, there were 354,184 events, 14,265 of which involved the use of force against an inmate.
An initial deposition and review of all incident report forms by a shift supervisor or department head are required under department procedures. After the chief of security has reviewed each incident report, he or she must forward them to the warden for final approval.
From 2021 to 2023, auditors collected and analyzed 101 incident reports from 13 different state penal institutions. During the two to six days following the incident, three forms were filled out by corrections officers. In contrast to the shift supervisor, the chief of security took five to fourteen days after an incident occurred to review the reports.
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There was a three-day holdup in the review process for another incident report because the shift supervisor was confused about who should take responsibility for it.
Officers are required to document the specifics of every use of force incident, including who was involved or saw it, as well as any pertinent background information.
Two reports were submitted within the first 18 days following the occurrence, but six more were not filed until an average of 20 days later.
Also, the warden did not receive reports of three instances until as much as 33 days after the initial report was made.
At times, the necessary repairs’ associated costs and labor hours were missing from maintenance requests and work orders. There were more than 40 maintenance requests that were denied between July 2021 and February 2023, with nine of those requests lacking an explanation for their rejection.
There was a holdup in removing former employees from the department’s IT control system, so the AG suggested enhancing policies and procedures, reporting incidents promptly, clarifying reasons for disapproving work requests, and enhancing the department’s IT control access.