Florida Department of Corrections
Michael D. Crews, Secretary

James V. Crosby, Jr. Secretary

I am proud to present the Florida Department of Corrections' 2005 Annual Report. The Department's mission is to: Protect the public by operating a safe, secure, humane and efficient corrections system.

Ours is a very difficult and important job. The Department incarcerates more than 86,000 inmates and supervises more than 144,000 in our communities.

Most of the Department's employees go to work each day knowing they will come face-to-face with convicted felons; knowing they are putting their lives on the line; knowing job satisfaction comes from protecting the public, so people like you and I can feel safe in an often unsafe world.

In this report, you will learn about the Department's accomplishments for 2005, some of which include:

• Establishment of the nation's largest Faith- and Character-Based Institution at Wakulla Correctional Institution.
  
  
• The Department's role in Florida's falling crime rate, which remains its lowest in 30 years.
  
  
• Current trends and populations both inside and outside the prison fence.

The Department affects an estimated one in six Floridians, including private vendors, offenders' families, victims and their families, and employees and their families.

Corrections employees are a workforce of highly-trained, ethical and dynamic professionals. But they are also a family who rush to the aid of their co-workers in times of need. I am proud of their contributions and am grateful to work alongside such dedicated and caring individuals.