Tallahassee, Fla. – This week, Florida Commissioner of Agriculture and Consumer Services Nikki Fried, an independently-elected member of the Florida Cabinet, wrote to US Attorney General Merrick Garland concerning the investigation of gross misconduct at Lowell Correctional Institution in Ocala, Florida. In addition to the problems identified, Commissioner Fried asked for an expansive review of other issues affecting 80,000 incarcerated Floridians in state facilities including high rates of suicide, lack of access to basic amenities such as air conditioning, and sub optimal levels of staffing in prisons.
“Lack of funds and lack of manpower have contributed to the unfortunate situation at Lowell Correctional Institution and these problems will continue unless we step up to provide a basic level of care for incarcerated Floridians,” said Commissioner Fried. “Unfortunately, that seems unlikely as Governor DeSantis inexplicably vetoed $3.1 billion in critical funds this past legislative session. I have asked Attorney General Garland to investigate the deficiencies of our system and hold our governor to account.”
The letter, which may be reads as follows:
December 20, 2022
Dear Attorney General Garland:
Lowell Correctional Institution in Ocala, Florida, to follow up on reports received by the Department of Justice’s Civil Rights Division of gross misconduct and sexual abuse spanning years. Thank you for your attention and diligence in this serious matter. It is my sincere hope that your investigators will find that these issues of grave concern have been addressed to their satisfaction.
As you may be aware, egregious shortcomings are not limited to Lowell Correctional Institution. Stories like the ones shared from the prisoners in Lowell have been heard in correctional institutions across Florida. I am sure you can agree there is work to be done, even if your investigators find no additional wrongdoing in Lowell.
In addition to the acute problems you are addressing at Lowell, our prison population has experienced increased mortality in the last five years, include a troubling rise in suicides. There are more than 80,000 Floridians incarcerated in state prisons, and many of them do not have access to basic amenities like air conditioning. Sweltering in Florida heat, those locked in prison, who are disproportionately Black, face additional injustice as staff turnover in our prison system soars. Recently, the Florida National Guard has been activated to provide temporary staffing relief to Florida correctional institutions.
Given these critical failures, it is inexplicable that Governor DeSantis vetoed $3.1 billion from the State of Florida’s $112.1 billion prisons budget approved during this year’s Legislative Session. Legislators sought $645 million to build a new 4,500-bed correctional institution and $195 million for a 250-bed hospital unit, serving state prisoner’s medical needs as well as the needs of elderly inmates.
Governor DeSantis has chronically ignored the needs of our state correctional institutions and the needs of our prison population. As you know, this continual underfunding of prisons leads to outcomes like those at Lowell Correctional Institution. I strongly urge you to hold this governor to account when it comes to our prisons and our prison population.
Thank you for your attention to this matter.
Sincerely,
Nicole Fried
Florida Commissioner of Agriculture
