Florida DOC to Close Seven Prisons, Four Work Camps

Seven state prisons and four work/forestry camps are to close by July 1,2012, as part of a statewide consolidation plan that is projected to save $14.9 million this year and $75.8 million the next fiscal year, the Florida Department of Corrections announced Thursday.

The plan means the elimination of 1,293 full-time employee positions.

Declining prison admissions has led to a surplus of prison beds, allowing us to pare down our budget shortfall by consolidating and closing our older, less efficient facilities. We are committed to placing as many affected staff as possible in vacant positions for which they are qualified, Secretary Ken Tucker stated in a release.

No inmates will be released early as a result of this decision, a release from the department stated.

The prisons being closed are:

Broward Correctional Institution (CI) in Fort Lauderdale, May 1; 60 full-time employee reductions, $2.7 million savings.

Demilly CI in Polk City, June 1; 118, $6.1 million.

Gainesville CI in Alachua County, Feb. 1; 150, $9 million.

Hillsborough CI in Riverview near Tampa, March 1; 115, $10.1 million.

Indian River CI in Vero Beach, May 1; 155, 4, $8.6 million.

Jefferson CI in Monticello, April 1; 177, $11.9 million.

New River CI (both units) in Raiford, March 1 or April 1; 281, $21,6 million.

River Junction Work Camp in Chattahoochee, Feb. 1; 65, $5.2 million.

Caryville Work Camp near Northwest Florida Reception Center in Washington County, June 1; 74, $4 million.

Hendry Work Camp in Immokalee, Feb. 1; 31, $2.3 million.

Levy Forestry Camp near Lowell CI in Ocala, Feb. 1; 77, $5.7 million.