Florida Department of Corrections
Michael D. Crews, Secretary

Fred Schuknecht Inspector General (850) 488-9265 SunCom 278-9265 Additional Contact Information

The Office of the Inspector General, under the direction of Inspector General Fred Schuknecht, is responsible for the 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.

Bureau of State Investigations
Edward Sobach, 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.

• The Bureau of State Investigations had 13,655 incidents reported to the Inspector General's office in 1997-98. Of those incidents, 2,714 official investigations were assigned; 2,682 were completed and 476 forwarded to the SAO for criminal prosecution. Programming was also completed for implementation of a statewide investigation data system.

Bureau of Inspections and Intelligence
Edward Sobach, Chief Inspector
(850) 488-2102, SunCom 278-2102

The Bureau of Inspections and Intelligence is responsible for safety and risk management functions, conducting contraband interdiction operations at both department and private correctional institutions, and acting as team leaders on management reviews.

• The Bureau of Inspections and Intelligence conducted 55 interdiction operations, in cooperation with the Florida Highway Patrol, which resulted in 36 arrests and the recovery of a substantial amount of contraband, including drugs, alcohol and weapons. The addition of a second drug detection system in late 1997 allowed for a 50% increase in operations during the first two quarters of 1998 compared to the same time period in 1997. This also resulted in more than doubling the number of arrests, from 11 to 24.

Bureau of Internal Audit
Jerry Chesnutt, Director of Auditing
(850) 410-4271, SunCom 210-4271

The Bureau of Internal Audit consists of two sections: Internal Audit and Management Review. The Management Review section coordinates compliance reviews and inspections of all field offices and facilities on an annual basis. The results of these reviews are compiled in a database and provide comprehensive information on the diverse operations of the department. The Internal Audit section provides an independent, risk-based appraisal of department operations. Both compliance and performance audits are performed and include evaluations of selected systems and programs. All audits are conducted using standards as published by the Institute of Internal Auditors.

• The Bureau of Internal Audit published the first statewide report on management reviews. For the first time, upper level management had a snapshot of compliance with standards for all offices and institutions reviewed over an 18-month period. This new system also provides a draft report to the local administrator upon review completion, something that previously could take weeks.

Bureau of Inmate Grievance Appeals
Celeste Kemp, Bureau Chief
(850) 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. The result of an effective grievance procedure is the reduction of tension and the prevention of undue stress within the inmate population. This is accomplished by providing inmates with an outlet in which to vent frustrations and with an avenue to resolve complaints. Therefore, utilization of this process produces a safer environment for staff and inmates.

• The Bureau of Inmate Grievance Appeals saved approximately $34,299 by using automation (SYSM) and support staff resources to request information from field staff. Our revised mailing procedures produced a cost avoidance of approximately $7,256. In addition, approximately 25,000 inmate grievance files were converted from alphabetical to numerical format. The purpose of this file conversion is to eliminate duplicate files for those inmates committed under more than one name, and to promote a more efficient and effective filing system. The inmate grievance office received 36,467 inmate grievances and processed 35,869.