News Room
Statement From FLA Dems Chairman Smith on Closure of Seven State Prisons at Direction of Gov. Rick
Jan 12, 2012 Press Releases
Tallahassee, FL – Today, Florida Democratic Party Chairman Rod Smith issued the following statement in response to the announcement the Florida Department of Corrections, at the direction of Gov. Rick Scott, will close seven prisons, eliminating an estimated 1,293 jobs:
“Today, Governor Rick Scott continued to implement his extreme Tea Party agenda that has eliminated jobs and moved our state in the wrong direction. At the Governor’s request, the Department of Corrections will close seven prisons and eliminate nearly 1,300 jobs.
“As a former State Attorney, I know firsthand many of these prisons house some of the most difficult inmates in the system. I continue to believe it is wrong to reward the Governor’s political cronies with taxpayer funded contracts to oversee Florida’s inmate population at the expense of hardworking Floridians.”
Please see below information on state prison closures along with estimated job losses:
| Prison name |
Total Capacity |
FTE reductions |
Est. FY11-12 Savings |
Est. FY12-13 Savings |
Closure Date |
| Broward CI | 611 | 50 | $210,281 | $2,523,371 | May 1, 2012 |
| Demilly CI | 342 | 118 | $--- | $6,068,260 | June 1, 2012 |
| Gainesville CI | 507 | 150 | $3,012,948 | $9,038,845 | Feb. 1, 2012 |
| Hillsborough CI | 431 | 115 | $2,078,663 | $8,314,653 | Mar 1,2012 |
| Indian River CI | 381 | 155 | $668,994 | $8,027,931 | May 1, 2012 |
| Jefferson CI | 1179 | 177 | $1,705,057 | $10,230,340 | April 1, 2012 |
| New River CI | 1362 | 281 | $3,961,002 | $17,644,740 |
Mar 1,2012 CI
April 1, 2012 O |
| Levy Forestry Camp | 292 | 65 | $1,295,421 | $3,886,263 | Feb. 1, 2012 |
| Hendry Work Camp | 280 | 74 | $--- | $4,028,832 |
June 1, 2012 |
| Caryville Work Camp | 133 | 31 | $576,264 | $1,728,792 | Feb. 1, 2012 |
| River Junction Work Camp | 736 | 77 | $1,422,818 | $4,269,454 | Feb. 1, 2012 |
| Total | 1,293 | $14,931,448 | $75,760,481 |
Full details on prison closures can be found here: http://www.abc-7.com/story/16506748/2012/01/12/state-closing-7-prisons-4-work-camps