Secretary's Office

Office of the Inspector General

Fred Schuknecht
Inspector General
(850) 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 1996-97 Accomplishments:

Inmate Grievance Appeals
Contact: Celeste Kemp, Bureau Chief, (850) 488-0094, SunCom 278-0094

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.
• The Bureau of Inmate Grievance Appeals processed 36,154 inmate grievances during FY 96-97. In a further attempt to address the management of this ever-increasing workload, the bureau initiated a team concept in responding to grievances. There are now three "grievance teams," which should enhance the completion time as well as the consistency in addressing inmate grievances.

Bureau of Inspections and Intelligence
Contact: Edward A. Sobach, Chief Inspector, (850) 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, 54 interdiction operations were conducted which resulted in 21 arrests and the recovery of a substantial amount of contraband, including drugs, alcohol and weapons.
• The Bureau of Inspections and Intelligence recently purchased a second drug detection unit, which will enable the bureau to significantly increase contraband interdiction operations. Operations will now be conducted simultaneously at different institutions, thereby increasing the deterrent to introduction of contraband.

Bureau of Internal Audit
Contact: Jerry Chesnutt, Bureau Chief, (850) 410-4271, SunCom 210-4271

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, and now maintains a database of the results. The Internal Audit section provides an independent, risk-based appraisal of department operations, using appropriate audit standards.
• The Bureau of Internal Audit developed an in-house database information system for management review, providing for the first time a statistical method for tracking results of management reviews. This bureau also conducted audits of drug treatment contracts and purchasing audits at over ten locations statewide.

Bureau of State Investigations
Contact: Gary McLain, Chief Inspector, (850) 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 96-97, there were 14,648 incidents reported to the Inspector General's Office. Of those incidents, 3,142 official investigations were assigned, 2,671 were completed and 494 forwarded to the SAO for criminal prosecution.
• The Bureau of State Investigations emphasized in-service training by developing and conducting a week long, comprehensive statewide training course in Interviewing and Investigative Techniques. The course was provided to all investigative staff within the agency.