Secretary's Office

Office of the Inspector General

Fred Schuknecht
Inspector General
(904) 488-9265
SUNCOM 278-9265

The Office of the Inspector General, under the direction of Inspector General Fred Schuknecht, is responsible for criminal and internal affairs investigations, contraband interdiction activities, inmate grievance appeals, safety and risk management, internal audit and the management review process. It consists of the four bureaus below.

Bureaus and Their 1995-96 Accomplishments:

Inmate Grievance Appeals
Contact: Celeste Kemp, Bureau Chief, (904) 488-9017, SunCom 278-9017

• The Bureau of Inmate Grievance Appeals is responsible for providing inmates with a channel for the administrative settlement of legitimate complaints. The grievance process assists the department by providing an avenue for internal resolution of problems and improving the lines of communication. Additionally, the grievance procedure provides a written record in the event of subsequent judicial or administrative review.
• In 1995-96, the Bureau of Inmate Grievance Appeals received 30,658 grievances, an increase of 39% from the previous year. In spite of this increase, bureau staff has decreased the average response time from 46.6 days in 1993 to 33.6 days in 1995, and 27.4 days in 1996. This increased efficiency is due in part to implementing procedures to streamline the grievance process without compromising work quality.

Inspections and Intelligence
Contact: Edward A. Sobach, Chief Inspector, (904) 487-4012, SunCom 277-4012

• The Bureau of Inspections and Intelligence is responsible for risk management functions and for conducting contraband interdiction operations at Department of Corrections institutions. In cooperation with the Florida Highway Patrol, 33 interdiction operations were conducted which resulted in 28 arrests and the recovery of a substantial amount of contraband, including drugs, alcohol and weapons.
• In 1995-96, the Bureau of Inspections and Intelligence:
  • Provided formal assistance and training to 15 state, county and local community organizations, and provided specialized training to the DC on 13 occasions.
  • Completed a production video entitled "Chicago Based Gangs in Florida's Prisons" to assist with training staff.

Internal Audit
Contact: Jerry Chesnutt, Bureau Chief, (904) 488-0004, SunCom 278-5061

• The Bureau of Internal Audit consists of two sections: Management Review and Internal Audit. The Management Review section coordinates reviews and inspections of all field offices and facilities on an annual basis. The Internal Audit section provides an independent, risk-based appraisal of department operations, using appropriate audit standards.
• In 1995-96, the Bureau of Internal Audit refocused on issues relevant to the management of the department which resulted in improved operations. Major audits include construction, food service, Management Information Systems and medical.

State Investigations
Contact: Gary McLain, Chief Inspector, (904) 488-2102, SunCom 278-2102

• The Bureau of State Investigations is responsible for conducting criminal, administrative and internal affairs investigations. Criminal investigations are referred to the appropriate State Attorney's Office (SAO) for prosecution. Administrative and Internal Affairs Investigations are referred to management for appropriate follow-up action. During FY 95-96, there were 13,493 incidents reported to the IG's Office. 3,014 official investigations were assigned, 2,840 were completed and 648 forwarded to the SAO for criminal prosecution.
• In 1995-96, the Bureau of State Investigations emphasized in-service training by assisting in developing and conducting a comprehensive statewide training course in Investigative Techniques and report writing. The course was provided to all investigative staff within the agency.