BRING BACK PAROLE IN FLORIDA!!
It's Time For A Change
The Florida Parole Commission has been abolished for almost 30 years, but still finds a way to consume $8 million of taxpayers funding. Today it is the Florida Parole Commission in NAME ONLY. Over 80% of their work hours are dedicated to functions outside of parole matters. The commission and its board members have managed to sustain an existence by artfully denying release to the dwindling numbers of parole eligible inmates left. The result is an aging parole eligibility segment of the prison population who are simply ?stuck? in the system. It is estimated that these (roughly 5,000 out of Florida?s more than 103,000 inmates) cost tax payers between $90 to $100 million annually for minor to major surgeries, eye problems, medication, dental, housing, travel time for parole examiners (that the commission rarely even follow the recommendations of) etc.
The game of the FPC has only been to perpetuate its Life (and job positions that pay around $90,000 a year mark) by offering no real parole considerations to those still languishing under its authority. The real damage caused by this game is to both the parole eligible men & women who have done all the right things while incarcerated to demonstrate their preparedness to enter back into society and the public. In 15 years or more of incarceration most of these men have earned GED?s, college degrees, and professional trades and have more program completion than normal human beings. As 15 years moves into 20 and 20 years moves into 25 and 25 years moves into 30 years and so on and so forth because of suspended dates and commission game of survival, chances of a successful re-entry for these 5,000 inmates diminishes. This length of time incarcerated, family foundations begin to crumble. Close relatives and loved ones who support these men and women, and would offer a stable home for parolee?s to live, such as mothers and fathers and siblings begin to grow old and eventually die. Also, the parole eligible inmates themselves who serve long lengths of time become very close to or over the age of retirement. The manual labor jobs that would be offered to them are no longer within his or her strength. These circumstances set up a hard road for re-entry once the commission does finally decide to release them. So the game of the parole commission is doing more harm than good. Stat?s show that most prison inmates will be released at some point. So why not form a parole policy that enhances the chance of success for these men and women. After 15-20 years most of these men and women have already gone gray haired and matured. Once upon a time FPC did serve a useful function. The majority of people sent to prison were eligible to be paroled under supervision, if they proved that they had sincerely changed and showed efforts thereof.
The inescapable reality facing the state of Florida is that no system of incarceration can operate effectively in corrections with such a whopping volume of prisoners. The burden of
The game of the FPC has only been to perpetuate its Life (and job positions that pay around $90,000 a year mark) by offering no real parole considerations to those still languishing under its authority. The real damage caused by this game is to both the parole eligible men & women who have done all the right things while incarcerated to demonstrate their preparedness to enter back into society and the public. In 15 years or more of incarceration most of these men have earned GED?s, college degrees, and professional trades and have more program completion than normal human beings. As 15 years moves into 20 and 20 years moves into 25 and 25 years moves into 30 years and so on and so forth because of suspended dates and commission game of survival, chances of a successful re-entry for these 5,000 inmates diminishes. This length of time incarcerated, family foundations begin to crumble. Close relatives and loved ones who support these men and women, and would offer a stable home for parolee?s to live, such as mothers and fathers and siblings begin to grow old and eventually die. Also, the parole eligible inmates themselves who serve long lengths of time become very close to or over the age of retirement. The manual labor jobs that would be offered to them are no longer within his or her strength. These circumstances set up a hard road for re-entry once the commission does finally decide to release them. So the game of the parole commission is doing more harm than good. Stat?s show that most prison inmates will be released at some point. So why not form a parole policy that enhances the chance of success for these men and women. After 15-20 years most of these men and women have already gone gray haired and matured. Once upon a time FPC did serve a useful function. The majority of people sent to prison were eligible to be paroled under supervision, if they proved that they had sincerely changed and showed efforts thereof.
The inescapable reality facing the state of Florida is that no system of incarceration can operate effectively in corrections with such a whopping volume of prisoners. The burden of
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