Florida lawmakers seek reforms after report of abuse at women’s prison
Jim Turner, News Service of Florida reporter
Published:
Tags:
TALLAHASSEE, Fla. – A group of female legislators hope other lawmakers are receptive to changes in Florida’s correctional system after a federal investigation found the state failed to protect inmates from sexual abuse by staff at the state’s largest women’s prison.
Four Democratic legislators called for the removal of some upper-level administrators and for mental-health evaluations of staff at Lowell Correctional Institution in Ocala, which was the focus of an investigation by the U.S. Department of Justice’s Civil Rights Division and Florida federal prosecutors.
DOJ probe finds staff at Florida women s prison sexually abused inmates
By
File Photo by Kabbagesaver/Pixabay/UPI
Dec. 23 (UPI) Federal prosecutors said a Florida women s prison has failed to protect prisoners from sexual abuse by facility staff in violation of the inmate s constitutional rights.
The Justice Department s Civil Rights Division and the U.S. Attorney s Office for the Middle District of Florida released a report on Tuesday following an investigation into the Lowell Correctional Institution that found staff sexually abused female inmates who remained at repeated risk of further abuse.
Advertisement Prison officials have a constitutional duty to protect prisoners from harm, including sexual abuse by staff, Assistant Attorney General Eric Dreiband for the Civil Rights Division said in a statement. Sexual abuse is never acceptable, and it is not part of any prisoner s sentence.
Feds: Florida women s prison staff accused of raping inmates, other disturbing reports
Published
Photo credit: RICHARD BOUHET/AFP via Getty Images
TALLAHASSEE - For more than a decade, the state has failed to protect inmates at Florida’s largest women’s prison from sexual abuse by the staff, according to a report released by federal officials on Tuesday.
The investigation by the U.S. Department of Justice’s Civil Rights Division and Florida federal prosecutors found reasonable cause to believe varied and disturbing reports of sexual abuse - including rape - by sergeants, correctional officers and other staff at Lowell Correctional Institution in Ocala.
Florida Department of Corrections announces expanded visitation policy
and last updated 2020-12-22 10:56:45-05
TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (WTXL) â In a video statement from the Florida Department of Corrections Secretary Mark Inch released Tuesday, new guidelines for visiting inmates were announced.
According to the FDC, these new temporary health and safety guidelines are in order to prevent and mitigate further spread of COVID-19 and to keep visitors and inmates safe.
Beginning Dec. 25 and going forward until otherwise stated, the following modifications are included in the newly expanded visitation policy:
No limit on the number or age of children
Biological and/or legal children of the inmate only