Florida Department of Corrections to Hold Open House of its Veteran's Dormitory

Newly established program to assist inmate Veterans

WEWAHITCHKA— Gulf Correctional Institution Warden Charles Halley will host a press conference and open house Wednesday, November 9, 2011 at Gulf CI to announce the Department’s newest re-entry initiative, the Veteran’s Dormitory Program. Veteran’s programs have been established at five Florida prisons: Gulf, Santa Rosa, Martin, Sumter and Lowell Correctional Institutions.

When:	Wednesday, November 9, 2011
Time:	10 AM CST
Where:	Gulf Correctional Institution 500 Ike Steele Road Wewahitchka, Florida
Directions:	Take I-10 to Exit 142 (SR-71 South) approximately 42 miles to Stone Mill Creek Road. Turn right off Hwy-71 onto Stone Mill Creek Road. Institution is approximately three miles from Hwy-71.
Who:	Florida Department of Corrections Warden Charles Halley, Assistant Warden Doug Sloan, Florida Department of Corrections members and inmates who are military veterans.
Why:	Veteran’s Dormitories will house inmates who have served in the military and are within three years of release from prison, providing them the opportunity to participate in specialized pre-release services such as cognitive thinking training, Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) counseling, improved access to Veteran’s Affairs Benefits and strict military standards for Veteran’s Dormitories.

The Mission of the Florida Department of Corrections is to protect the public by operating safe and secure prisons and to assist inmates and offenders with their re-entry into society. Inmates living in Veteran’s Dormitories will have an incentive to maintain their good behavior while in prison and will be more likely to live as law-abiding people upon release. 

There will be photo, video and audio opportunities for reporters in addition to interviews.