Kosher Meals Make a Comeback In Florida

WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. — Many Jewish inmates adhering to kosher diet standards have not had an ideal transition when it comes to food service in prison. Kosher meals have been a hot topic at prison’s throughout the country, as some states have banned them or placed heavy restrictions on who can be served a kosher meal.

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Will Florida Follow in California’s Path?

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. — Some counties in Florida are worried about a current proposal on the table that could shift about 5,600 inmates from state prisons to county jails.

So why the sudden shift in the state? It is all about money, of course. The Department of Corrections claim that the proposal can reduce costs and save the state about $47.7 million a year, according to documents filed with Gov. Rick Scott’s office.

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Fla. Prison Privatization Questioned

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. A small group of politically influential companies could be awarded a contract worth millions of dollars in a legislative effort to privatize Floridasprisonhealthcare services, according to reports.
 
The new budget plan to which House and Senate negotiators recently agreed allows one vendor to bid on boththe healthcare andprison privatization services of 18 South Florida counties.

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Fla. Jail To Add Medical Facility

BROOKSVILLE, Fla. — The Hernando County Detention Center will build a new medical facility to fix problems with the existing medical area and provide better housing for juvenile offenders.
 
The Hernando County Commission unanimously agreed to seek proposals for a separate $1.2 million to $1.5 million facility Tuesday.
 
The engineering firm that examined the Hernando County Detention Center last year recommended reassigning space in the jail and building additions to several areas at a cost of $3.7 million.

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GEO and Cornell Announce Merger

BOCA RATON, Fla. — The GEO Group and Cornell Companies, two of the largest players in the private correctional detention, secure treatment and residential programming sector, will merge operations after directors agreed a multimillion agreement.

Headquartered in Boca Raton, GEO will acquire Cornell, which is based in Houston, for stock and/or cash at an estimated enterprise value of $685 million. The enterprise value (excluding cash on hand) includes approximately $300 million in debt, which GEO will assume.

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Florida Deploys Tents at State Prisons

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. — Corrections officials are preparing to house crowded inmates in military-style tents as the department faces record prison population levels and deep budget cuts.

Florida Department of Corrections erected almost 40 of the temporary housing structures at nine of the state’s 139 facilities and has an additional 20 tents, each of which can house up to 22 inmates, in reserve. State legislation mandates that the prison system maintain a buffer of excess bed space and the department is also building four permanent 68-bed dormitory units.

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Florida Tackles Prison Crowding With Tent City

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. — Corrections officials are preparing to house inmates in military-style tents as the department faces record prison population levels and deep budget cuts.

Florida Department of Corrections erected almost 40 of the temporary housing structures at nine of the state’s 139 facilities and has an additional 20 tents, each of which can house up to 22 inmates, in reserve. State legislation mandates that the prison system maintain a buffer of excess bed space. The department is also building four permanent 68-bed dormitory units.

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County Approves Courthouse Tower Plan

FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. — County commissioners recently approved a revised plan to replace the 50-plus-year-old Broward County courthouse with a 17-story, 675,000-square-foot tower that is expected to cost $270 million.

Circulation and access control in the existing courthouse, which was built in 1960 and expanded in the 1990s with the addition of two new wings, do not meet current standards for safety and security. The courthouse houses civil, criminal, juvenile, county and circuit courts, and the offices of the court clerk and court-related programs.

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