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| Tim Cannon, deputy secretary of the Florida Department of Corrections |
Tim Cannon, the
Deputy Secretary of the Florida Department of Corrections said, “Recidivism is
the measurement of an inmate as they are released, and how many of them
actually are remanded back into the departments custody within a three year
period”.
The inmate
recidivism rate is calculated annually. Earlier this month, the Florida Department of
Corrections announced that the rate has dropped 4 percent in the last three
years. “The end result of this reduction in recidivism is a reduced number of
victims in the state of Florida,” said Cannon.
A lower rate
also means great news for state taxpayers.
According to Cannon, It costs the city roughly $20,000 a year per
inmate. This amount covers housing, food
and other expenses that come into account while investigating a crime. This means the reduced recidivism rate will
save taxpayers millions.
Michael Crews,
the secretary of the Florida Department of Corrections, said, “You have the
financial aspect and the savings we see by not having them re-committed, but
you also see less crime and less victims.”
Less crime and
less money aren’t the only good things to come from a lower rate, criminals can
also benefit. Ex-convicts are finding it
easier to stay out of jail by finding jobs through the department, and making a
better living for themselves.
Eric Smallridge,
an ex-convict in Leon County, says, “I have no hard feelings against the system
whatsoever. I made my bed; I had to lay in it. And now with the programs
they’re putting into place to help inmates try to have an opportunity to
transition into society, I think it’s an awesome thing and I’m 100 percent
supportive of it.” Smallridge, was released early from his sentence in January,
and currently has a job with Goodwill in Tallahassee.
To find more
information about the Florida Department of Corrections visit: www.dc.state.fl.us
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