Governor's Budget Recommendations
Help Department of Corrections
Focus on Core Mission

Governor Jeb Bush's 2004-05 balanced crime fighting budget for the Department of Corrections focuses on inmate population growth, restoration of in-prison and community substance abuse funding and restoring some of the agency's infrastructure needs. The fiscally sound budget will allow the department to return to and focus on its core mission, protecting the public by operating a safe, secure, humane and efficient corrections system.

"Florida is experiencing the lowest crime rate in over 30 years, partly because we are building prisons and requiring inmates to serve at least 85% of their sentence," said Secretary James V. Crosby, Jr. "This budget will allow us to keep up with the continued growth in the state's prison population while maintaining our current infrastructure needs. This budget also restores previous cuts to in-prison and community substance abuse programs."

The inmate population in Florida is expected to grow to 84,624 by the end of the 2004-05 fiscal year. For the increased inmate population, the budget will:

• Fund $30 million and provide for 600 positions for security, health care services, programs and other prison support staff.
• Provide for the opening of two prisons in 2004-05, the Columbia Annex and Franklin Correctional Institution.
• Phase in 1,972 new prison beds during the fiscal year.
• Provide an additional $8.9 million for the Correctional Privatization Commission to phase in an additional 1,086 prison beds within their existing facilities.

Other highlights of DOC's $2 billion budget are:

• An additional $87.5 million in general revenue and $12.1 million in trust funds for the construction of 3,760 prison beds to be completed by the end of 2006. Specifically:
  • To complete construction of the Santa Rosa Annex (1,380 beds)
  • To complete Washington Annex (1,380 beds)
  • Construct 2 work camps (262 beds each)
  • Construct additional secure and open bay female housing units at the Lowell Annex (476 beds)
  • Provide an additional $1.8 million for land acquisition, permitting and preparation of a future prison site

Restores $12.4 million for substance abuse treatment. The budget allocates $8.3 for substance abuse treatment in prisons and $4.1 million to community corrections substance abuse programs. This returns funding to the 2001-02 funding levels, which was $30 million.