TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (AP) - Florida's prisons are understaffed, lack adequate prison programs and have deteriorating facilities and fences.
That's according to a 178-page report prepared for a legislative research office.
The report exams staffing, security and inmate issues in the prison system that houses about 100,000 prisoners. It found far more bad than good while making recommendations to the Department of Corrections on how to address shortcomings at Florida's prisons.
The Department's officer turnover rate has led to a large number of inexperienced officers handling some of the most important responsibilities. The average experience of officers at the state's largest prison is less than 10 months.
The study involved visits to a variety of prison facilities and interviews with 284 corrections employees, including 125 prison officers, as well as a large number of prisoners.
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