Florida Department of Corrections Banner, Secretary Mark S. Inch

 

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
August 6, 2020

Contact: FDC Communications
(850) 488-0420
 

FDC Partners with Leon County Sheriff’s Office to Increase Public Safety
Virtual training for assessment tool will aid officers and reduce recidivism.

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. — The Florida Department of Corrections (FDC) partnered with the Leon County Sheriff’s Office for online training on FDC’s Spectrum Lite tool.

Spectrum is a risk and needs assessment system created by FDC to evaluate inmates and offenders under supervision. Assessments are used to create individualized case management plans with appropriate and intentional programming and interventions in an effort to rehabilitate inmates for the time when they return to society as productive citizens. Spectrum Lite is the mobile version of the Spectrum system made available by FDC to Florida correctional, judicial and re-entry agencies.

“Spectrum is a pivotal resource that provides valuable insight into an inmate’s criminal history, behavioral patterns and social environment. The insight gained from these assessments is beneficial because it defines key areas where each inmate can best be supported to make positive choices, improve their quality of life and achieve successful restoration to the community,” said FDC Secretary Mark Inch.

Data used for Spectrum Lite assessments comes from information in local databases, criminogenic domain questionnaires and interviews conducted by a correctional professional. Assessments generally focus on areas of adverse childhood experiences, substance use and other risk factors such as family, social awareness, employment and education. Shared use of Spectrum Lite allows FDC and partner agencies to strengthen interagency communication and provide a more streamlined continuity of care to inmates and offenders.

“The Leon County Sheriff’s Office is excited to collaborate with FDC and implement a tool that will expand officer resources and allow them to aid offenders based on individual need. Citizens become offenders under many different circumstances. So, a one size fits all approach isn’t ideal in the rehabilitative process. There’s value in understanding those in our care and providing the right kind of support - support that will make the difference between reoffending or becoming a law-abiding citizen,” said Sheriff Walt McNeil.

During the two-and-a-half-week training, LCSO corrections professionals learned to conduct comprehensive assessments on their offender populations, both incarcerated and those on community supervision. The LCSO plans to implement the Spectrum Lite tool in its county detention facilities over the next few weeks.

To learn more about Spectrum, click here.

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As Florida's largest state agency, and the third largest state prison system in the country, FDC employs 24,000 members, incarcerates 80,000 inmates and supervises nearly 146,000 offenders in the community.

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