Under growing scrutiny regarding the increasing number of deaths within the prisons each year, the Florida Department of Corrections has released a database to the public which allows individuals to review all prison deaths in the State of Florida for the past fourteen years. People can see the status of a death investigation as well as some summary reports of closed cases. The search can be done by facility, sex, race or manner of death.
Secretary Mike Crews claims:
“By taking advantage of technology, we are allowing the public to have access to the information about in-custody deaths that is available to us. This is another step toward increasing transparency and accountability into the functions of the Department.”
The Department of Corrections currently houses approximately 101,000 inmates in 49 institutions around the State of Florida. All non-natural deaths are investigated by the Florida Department of Law Enforcement with help of the Office of Inspector General. The remaining deaths are investigated by the Officer of Inspector General alone.
To date this year, there have been 225 deaths within the Florida Department of Corrections facilities. Of those, 213 are male and 12 are female. Three deaths were the result of homicide, one was the result of a suicide and eighty-seven cases are still being investigated.
Although this is not a complete fix to the problem regarding abuse in the prisons, this is a step in the right direction towards making a change.
If you have a family member or friend who has died or is/was the victim of abuse while in a Florida prison, please contact the Law Office Michael P. Maddux who will ensure that the proper investigation is completed and a just resolution is obtained. No one deserves to be abused by prison guards, regardless of the reason they are in the prison.